Special to GC
Gainesville, Fla. – The No. 3-ranked University of Florida softball team completed a series sweep of No. 13 Kentucky on Monday night, winning 2-0 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. Following a 17-minute rain delay, the Gators scored once in the first and once in the fifth to take the three-game set from the Wildcats.
Kelsey Stewart singled through the right side to lead off the bottom of the first for Florida (40-4, 11-4 SEC), advancing two bases on Nicole DeWitt’s double to center field. A sacrifice fly by Kirsti Merritt put the Gators on the board. The Orange and Blue added to their lead in the fifth when Stewart led off with a triple down the left-field line and then came home on a one-out sacrifice fly by Lauren Haeger.
Florida’s senior right-hander continued her strong pitching, allowing just two hits and three walks with four strikeouts in her second two-hit shutout in three days against Kentucky (27-14, 4-11 SEC). Haeger won her 19th consecutive decision to begin the season as the Gators reached 40 victories for the 13th consecutive year.
STARS OF THE GAME
* Lauren Haeger: The Arizona native earned her fifth win of the year against a ranked opponent and her third in as many starts.
* Kelsey Stewart: Florida’s All-America infielder reached base three times on the night, scoring twice.
* Kirsti Merritt: The junior recorded the game-winning RBI for the second consecutive day.
NOTABLES
* Florida swept its second consecutive series.
* The Gators now lead the all-time series against Kentucky by a 45-13 margin, including a 23-6 edge in Gainesville.
* Although UF had two sacrifice flies in a game for the fourth time this year (last: 3/21 at Alabama), this was the only time those at-bats accounted for all runs in the contest.
* Stewart’s leadoff single extended her hitting streak to 11 games (since 3/27).
* The Kansas native stroked her 23rd career triple in the fifth, extending her Gator record.
* The junior raised her average in SEC play to.537 to lengthen her league lead to 37 points over the next-closest hitter.
* Florida’s leadoff batter posted her fourth game of the year with three or more hits (last: 4/4 vs. South Carolina, Game 2 – 4).
* DeWitt’s double in the opening frame was her eighth of the year, tying Merritt for second on the team (Stewart – 14).
* Chelsea Herndon blooped a one-out single into left-center in the fifth for her first hit since March 15 vs. LSU.
WALTON’S WORDS
On having Haeger perform at a high level late in the season:
“She’s an All-American for a reason, and she’s having one of those All-American kind of seasons again. We wouldn’t be where we are without her – not only her leadership by example out there in the circle, but what she’s been able to do at the plate.”
On Stewart’s ability to catalyze the Gator offense heading into the stretch run:
“It’s really important. She’s really good – I like the way that her at-bats have gotten a lot better. Even her outs are starting to be more on the ground. [She is] not hitting as many lazy fly balls. Just using all of her tools, that’s the big key for Kelsey – to be able to take what the team gives you and use your tools.”
On his message to the team with a short turnaround with four games in the next six days:
“That’s what we do preseason training for. You work hard and work out, and we’ve just got to get after it. We’ve got South Florida on Wednesday, which is always a good, challenging game. Then we have a quick turnaround to prepare for Georgia, who has Chelsea Wilkinson, who was the SEC [Co-]Pitcher of the Week. We’ve got our work cut out for us this week, that’s for sure.”
– Florida Head Coach Tim Walton
FLORIDA PLAYER QUOTES
Senior RHP/1B Lauren Haeger
On her performance tonight:
“I was just trying to get good pitches and just hit my spots. I gave up a couple walks but I think I did a good job.”
On if she envisioned being 19-0 during her senior season:
“No. If you had asked me four years ago, or three years ago, or two years ago, probably not. I’ve just worked really hard this year in the bullpen. Taking away first base from me has been really, really helpful and it helps me focus a lot more.”
Junior OF Kirsti Merritt
On Haeger:
“She did amazing. Saturday night and tonight, she pitched amazingly. She’s been really hitting her spots well, and I know in practice she’s been working really hard. I love to see that [carry over] into the games.”
On her defense tonight:
“For the one over my head, I actually didn’t even step at all. I just buckled my knees, and I couldn’t see very well at all. It was just a bad read by me, but I’ll get better at those in practice. It won’t happen again. Watch, I promise.
Junior 2B Kelsey Stewart
On facing Kentucky’s Kelsey Nunley:
“I didn’t have much success hitting off her. I talked to Coach and we talked about sticking to a slap game and just really working their defense.”
On Haeger’s performance in the circle:
“She was amazing, she was great. She just needs to keep it up. We have a long postseason so she needs to just keep hitting it hard and working on the little things.”