Last Wednesday, the #1-ranked Florida Gators saw their softball home opener against Jacksonville postponed by a steady rain. One week later, the Gators finally got to play front of their home crowd, improving to 12-0 on the season with a 6-0 win over Jacksonville.
After two innings of hitless ball the Gators got the only run they would need when sophomore Taylore Fuller delivered a third inning home run, one of two hits from the nine-hole in the order. The Gators also scored in the fourth, fifth and sixth frames.
“I thought we had a lot of good performances,” head coach Tim Walton said. “We had some good at-bats, really good defensive plays and obviously a lot of good hitting. Lauren [Haeger] had a two-run homer. Taylore Fuller is getting it going. Really good base running by Taylor Schwarz to make some things happen. Overall, I thought there were a lot of bright spots.”
Haeger continues to shine from the dish as well as the pitcher’s circle. Haeger not only hit her fifth home run of the season, pushing her hit streak to eight straight games, but also drew her eighth walk of the young season.
In the circle, Haeger was dominant again, earning her fourth win with seven innings of four-hit, shutout ball. With seven strikeouts and no walks, Haeger’s shutout was her third complete game of the season and lowered her season ERA to 0.78.
“I think it was okay,” Haeger said of her performance after the game. “I don’t think it was my best. I wasn’t hitting my spots as well. I think I had a little bit of luck on my side. I felt good, but not the best I could.”
As Florida looks to the weekend, Haeger says she wants to hit spots more as well as an increased focus on hitting the corners of the strike zone more.
The Gators will host the Lipton Invitational in Gainesville this weekend and will welcome in Troy, Indiana, Coastal Carolina and Georgia Southern to Katie Seashole Pressley stadium.