If Saturday’s winner’s bracket game with UCF had a bit of a been there, done that before feel to it, all you had to do is look back to the night before when the Florida Gators followed a great pitching and early home run formula to knock off Bethune-Cookman. Stephanie Brombacher was almost untouchable Friday nighty and Kelsey Bruder provided all the offense the Gators needed with a solo homer in the second inning. Saturday, Brombacher was on top of her game once again and Bruder provided the early power as the Gators advanced to the championship round of the NCAA Gainesville Regional with a 6-0 win over the Knights.
Brombacher followed up her three-hit, 11-strikeout performance Friday night by taking a no-hitter one out into the seventh inning Saturday. After UCF’s Hillary Barrow spoiled the no-hitter with a two-strike single up the middle, Brombacher finished off the Knights with back-to-back strikeouts to send the Gators (45-8) into Sunday’s 1 p.m. championship round against FIU (38-20), which eliminated Bethune-Cookman (2-0 in 10 innings) and UCF (7-0) Saturday.
As if they were following a similar script to Friday night, the Gators took the early lead thanks to a first inning two-run homer by Bruder, who got just enough of an Ashleigh Cole breaking ball to lift it over the right field wall a few inches out of the reach of Mary Helen Tyler, who couldn’t bring the ball back into the park.
“I thought she [Tyler] caught it,” Bruder said of her 13th home run of the season. “I was ready to turn around [and head back into the dugout] and I’m glad I didn’t.”
That was all the offensive support Brombacher needed. She walked leadoff hitter Tiffany Lane on a full count, got a strikeout and a double play to end the first, then retired the next 10 batters before walking Marissa Menendez with one out in the fifth.
In picking up her 31st win of the season, Brombacher used only 92 pitches, the exact number she used the night before to dispose of Bethune-Cookman. Instead of the curveball she used extensively to beat UCF 4-3 back in late March, Brombacher fed the Knights a steady diet of screwballs which they couldn’t handle. Barrow’s single was the only ball to leave the infield the entire game.
“The last time I pitched to them I threw them a lot of curveballs so I think they were trying to wait and hit curveballs so I didn’t throw them a lot of curveballs today,” Brombacher (31-6) said.
Other than that first inning homer, Cole (24-14) kept the Gators off balance until the fifth until a combination of fielding mistakes and a pair of solid at-bats by Michelle Moultrie and Aja Paculba increased Florida’s lead to 4-0. Tiffany DeFelice started the inning by reaching second on a throwing error by Natalie Land. Corrie Brooks followed with a hard grounder up the middle that Land got to with a sliding stop but her late throw to first skidded by Menendez, allowing DeFelice to slide in with the third run of the game. Moultrie followed that with a sharp single to tight center that sent pinch-runner Lauren Heil to third with Moultrie taking second on the throw. Paculba drove home the second run on the inning with a deep fly to center field.
The Gators put the finishing touches on the game in the seventh when they bunched three straight hits after one out. Moultrie, who led off the game with a double and finished 3-4, got things started with a hard ground single up the middle. Moultrie broke for second on the next pitch, which Paculba drove into the gap in left center field for a run-scoring double. Bruder finished things off with a single into right for her third RBI of the game.
Brombacher, who has seven one-hitters in her Florida career, wasn’t thinking no-hitter until she turned around and looked at the scoreboard with one out in the seventh. Barrow had roped a pitch foul down the left field line and Brombacher peeked at the scoreboard as the ball was returned to the infield.
“Normally I don’t think about it but I looked at the scoreboard and saw it,” Brombacher said. She got a called second strike on the next pitch, but Barrow sent the next offering into center field to break up the no-hit bid. “I’ve known Hillary (Barrow) for years and she’s a great hitter, their best hitter on the team.”
Brombacher says the dominating back-to-back performances have everything to do with maintaining her focus throughout the game, an important factor if Florida is to make a deep run in NCAA play.
“These are better hitters so if I let off one pitch and I don’t think exactly how I need to think for one pitch they’ll get you and beat you,” Brombacher said.
With Brombacher fully focused and locating her pitches, two straight NCAA opponents have managed only one decently hit ball that got through the infield and that was the single by Barrow. The formula of great pitching — “If you don’t give up any runs we won’t ever lose” Florida coach Tim Walton said — and home runs is all part of Walton’s master plan to build the Florida program into one that will contend for championships every year.
Another part of the formula is to recruit kids who are accustomed to winning championships. Players who are accustomed to winning championships, Walton surmises, know how to put the past behind them and focus in on what’s next. He knows his team won’t rest on what they did in the first two games when they take the field Sunday.
“It’s all about what’s next,” Walton said. “They understand; they get it. Every one of those kids in the dugout have won championships. They know how to win championships and when you know how to win championships it really helps you settle in and focus on the task at hand.”
The Gators and Golden Panthers already have met this season, and it is not a very pleasant memory for Florida—an 8-3 loss on April 20 in Gainesville.
GAME NOTES: Bruder’s home run was the 30th of her Florida career, moving her into fifth place all time. The home run was the 98th of the season for the Gators … Moultrie, Paculba and Bruder batted 1-2-3 in the order and delivered seven hits and five RBI … In addition to her two hits and two RBI, Paculba stole two bases … Walton is 271-65 (.806 winning percentage) in five seasons at Florida. He needs six more wins to reach 400 for his coaching career. Currently, Walton is 394-129 (.753 winning percentage) in eight seasons as a head coach.
NCAA DIVISION I SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Seeds: 1. Alabama (SEC) 48-9; 2. Michigan (Big Ten) 46-6; 3. Washington (Pac-10) 45-6; 4. Florida (SEC) 43-8; 5. UCLA (Pac-10) 40-11; 6. Georgia (SEC) 43-11; 7. Texas (Big 12) 42-13; 8. Georgia Tech (ACC) 49-9; 9. Missouri (Big 12) 46-11; 10. Arizona (Pac-10) 43-11; 11. California (Pac-10) 41-17; 12. Louisiana State (SEC) 44-14; 13. Arizona State (Pac-10) 41-15; 14. Oklahoma (Big 12) 43-10; 15. Tennessee (SEC) 42-13; 16. Hawaii (WAC) 44-13.
REGIONALS / Double-elimination tournaments at campus sites
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. / University of Alabama / Alabama Softball Complex
FRIDAY / May 21
Game 1: Lipscomb 4, UAB 1
Game 2: (1) Alabama 9, Alcorn State 0 (5)
SATURDAY / May 22
Game 3: (1) Alabama 5, Lipscomb 2
Game 4: UAB 10, Alcorn State 1; Alcorn State eliminated
Game 5: Lipscomb 7, UAB 6 (9); UAB eliminated
SUNDAY / May 23
Game 6: (1) Alabama (50-9) vs. Lipscomb (50-12), 2:30 p.m.
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 5 p.m. (if necessary)
STANFORD, Calif. / Stanford University / Smith Family Stadium
FRIDAY / May 21
Game 1: (16) Hawaii 10, UC Davis 2 (5)
Game 2: Stanford 5, Texas Tech 4
SATURDAY / May 22
Game 3: (16) Hawaii 6, Stanford 3
Game 4: Texas Tech 1, UC Davis 0; UC Davis eliminated
Game 5: Texas Tech 6, Stanford 3; Stanford eliminated
SUNDAY / May 23
Game 6: (16) Hawaii (46-13) vs. Texas Tech (38-17), 4 p.m.
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 6:30 p.m. (if necessary)
COLUMBIA, Mo. / University of Missouri / University Field
FRIDAY / May 21
Game 1: Illinois 4, DePaul 2
Game 2: (9) Missouri 3, Creighton 2
SATURDAY / May 22
Game 3: (9) Missouri 3, Illinois 1
Game 4: DePaul 3, Creighton 2 (9); Creighton eliminated
Game 5: Illinois 9, DePaul 1; DePaul eliminated
SUNDAY / May 23
Game 6: (9) Missouri (48-11) vs. Illinois (45-7), 2 p.m.
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 4 p.m. (if necessary)
ATLANTA, Ga./ Georgia Institute of Technology / Mewborn Field
FRIDAY / May 21
Game 1: Oregon 1, Auburn 0
Game 2: (8) Georgia Tech 5, Jacksonville State 3
SATURDAY / May 22
Game 3: Oregon 11, (8) Georgia Tech 2 (5)
Game 4: Auburn 15, Jacksonville State 1 (6); Jacksonville State eliminated
Game 5: (8) Georgia Tech 4, Auburn 1; Auburn eliminated
SUNDAY / May 23
Game 6: Oregon (35-19) vs. (8) Georgia Tech (51-10), 1 p.m.
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 3:30 p.m. (if necessary)
LOS ANGELES / University of California, Los Angeles / Easton Stadium
FRIDAY / May 21
Game 1: San Diego State 3, Fresno State 2
Game 2: (5) UCLA 11, Saint Mary’s (Calif.) 4
SATURDAY / May 22
Game 3: (5) UCLA 4, San Diego State 3
Game 4: Fresno State 6, Saint Mary’s 0; Saint Mary’s eliminated
Game 5: Fresno State 4, San Diego State 3; San Diego State eliminated
SUNDAY / May 23
Game 6: (5) UCLA (42-11) vs. Fresno State (41-20), 3 p.m.
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 5:30 p.m. (if necessary)
BATON ROUGE, La. / Louisiana State University / Tiger Park
FRIDAY / May 21
Game 1: Louisiana-Lafayette 5, Texas A&M 0
Game 2: (12) Louisiana State 6, McNeese State 0
SATURDAY / May 22
Game 3: Louisiana-Lafayette 1, (12) Louisiana State 0
Game 4: Texas A&M 2, McNeese State 0; McNeese State eliminated
Game 5: Texas A&M 1, (12) Louisiana State 0; Louisiana State eliminated
SUNDAY / May 23
Game 6: Louisiana-Lafayette (44-16) vs. Texas A&M (44-15), 2 p.m.
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 5 p.m. (if necessary)
AMHERST, Mass. / University of Massachusetts / UMass Softball Complex
FRIDAY / May 21
Game 1: (13) Arizona State 6, Boston University 1
Game 2: Long Island 3, Massachusetts 1
SATURDAY / May 22
Game 3: (13) Arizona State 3, Long Island 2
Game 4: Boston University 10, Massachusetts 4; Massachusetts eliminated
Game 5: Long Island 5, Boston University 4; Boston University eliminated
SUNDAY / May 23
Game 6: (13) Arizona State (43-15) vs. Long Island (39-17), 5 p.m.
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 7:30 p.m. (if necessary)
GAINESVILLE, Fla. / University of Florida / Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium
FRIDAY / May 21
Game 1: UCF 7, FIU 1
Game 2: (4) Florida 6, Bethune-Cookman 0
SATURDAY / May 22
Game 3: (4) Florida 6, UCF 0
Game 4: FIU 2, Bethune-Cookman 0 (10); Bethune-Cookman eliminated
Game 5: FIU 7, UCF 0; UCF eliminated
SUNDAY / May 23
Game 6: (4) Florida (45-8) vs. FIU (38-20), 1 p.m.
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 3:30 p.m. (if necessary)
SEATTLE, Wash. / University of Washington / Husky Softball Stadium
FRIDAY / May 21
Game 1: North Carolina 1, Nebraska 0
Game 2: (3) Washington 3, North Dakota State 0
SATURDAY / May 22
Game 3: (3) Washington 1, North Carolina 0
Game 4: Nebraska (29-28) vs. North Dakota State (33-24), rain delay
Game 5: North Carolina (41-19) vs. Game 4 winner, late
SUNDAY / May 23
Game 6: (3) Washington (47-6) vs. Game 5 winner, 5:30 p.m.
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 8 p.m. (if necessary)
COLLEGE PARK, Md. / University of Maryland / Robert E. Taylor Stadium
FRIDAY / May 21
Game 1: (14) Oklahoma 10, Syracuse 0 (5)
Game 2: Fordham 2, Maryland 1
SATURDAY / May 22
Game 3: (14) Oklahoma 1, Fordham 0
Game 4: Maryland 4, Syracuse 1; Syracuse eliminated
Game 5: Fordham 5, Maryland 2; Maryland eliminated
SUNDAY / May 23
Game 6: (14) Oklahoma (45-10) vs. Fordham (49-11), 12 p.m.
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 2 p.m. (if necessary)
COLUMBUS, Ohio / Ohio State University / Buckeye Field
FRIDAY / May 21
Game 1: (11) California 10, Bucknell 0 (5)
Game 2: Kentucky vs. Ohio State, suspended with Kentucky leading 3-0 in the top of the fourth inning
SATURDAY / May 22
Game 2: Kentucky 6, Ohio State 5 (resumption of suspended game)
Game 3: (11) California (42-17) 1, Kentucky 0
Game 4: Ohio State 6, Bucknell 0; Bucknell eliminated
Game 5: Ohio State 5, Kentucky 3; Kentucky eliminated
SUNDAY / May 23
Game 6: (11) California (43-17) vs. Ohio State (39-13), 2:30 p.m.
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 5 p.m. (if necessary)
ATHENS, Ga. / University of Georgia / UGA Softball Stadium
FRIDAY / May 21
Game 1: Florida State 10, Radford 1 (5)
Game 2: (6) Georgia 10, Elon 4
SATURDAY / May 22
Game 3: (6) Georgia 5, Florida State 2
Game 4: Radford 8, Elon 0 (5); Elon eliminated
Game 5: Radford 3, Florida State 2; Florida State eliminated
SUNDAY / May 23
Game 6: (6) Georgia (45-11) vs. Radford (38-16), 12 p.m.
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 2:30 p.m. (if necessary)
AUSTIN, Texas / University of Texas / McCombs Field
THURSDAY / May 20
Game 1: Brigham Young 1, East Carolina 0
Game 2: (7) Texas 6, Iona 0
FRIDAY / May 21
Game 3: Brigham Young 9, (7) Texas 8
Game 4: East Carolina 3, Iona 0; Iona eliminated
Game 5: East Carolina 1, (7) Texas 0; Texas eliminated
SATURDAY / May 22
Game 6: Brigham Young 8, East Carolina 3; Brigham Young (46-11) advances to Super Regional; East Carolina eliminated
TUCSON, Ariz. / University of Arizona / Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium
FRIDAY / May 21
Game 1: Hofstra 8, Oklahoma State 6
Game 2: (10) Arizona 9, Cornell 0 (5)
SATURDAY / May 22
Game 3: (10) Arizona 6, Hofstra 0
Game 4: Oklahoma State 7, Cornell 0; Cornell eliminated
Game 5: Hofstra 5, Oklahoma State 2; Oklahoma State eliminated
SUNDAY / May 23
Game 6: (10) Arizona (45-11) vs. Hofstra (45-11), 3 p.m.
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 5 p.m. (if necessary)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. / University of Tennessee / Sherri Parker Lee Stadium
FRIDAY / May 21
Game 1: Virginia 1, Louisville 0
Game 2: (15) Tennessee 5, Ball State 0
SATURDAY / May 22
Game 3: (15) Tennessee 11, Virginia 2
Game 4: Louisville 5, Ball State 1; Ball State eliminated
Game 5: Louisville 7, Virginia 4; Louisville eliminated
SUNDAY / May 23
Game 6: (15) Tennessee (44-13) vs. Louisville (41-18), 1 p.m.
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 3:30 p.m. (if necessary)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. / University of Michigan / Alumni Field at Wilpon Softball Complex
FRIDAY / May 21
Game 1: Notre Dame 1, Illinois State 0 (8)
Game 2: Wright State vs. (2) Michigan, suspended with Michigan leading 8-2 in the bottom of the fourth
SATURDAY / May 22
Game 2: (2) Michigan 11, Wright State 2 (6) (resumption of suspended game)
Game 3: (2) Michigan 8, Notre Dame 0 (5)
Game 4: Wright State 10, Illinois State 8; Illinois State eliminated
Game 5: Notre Dame 6, Wright State 5; Wright State eliminated
SUNDAY / May 23
Game 6: (2) Michigan (48-6) vs. Notre Dame (47-11), 1 p.m.
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 3:30 p.m. (if necessary)
SUPER REGIONALS / Best-of-three series at campus site of higher seed / May 28-30
Stanford, Calif. Regional winner vs. Tuscaloosa, Ala. Regional winner
Columbia, Mo. Regional winner vs. Atlanta, Ga. Regional winner
Baton Rouge, La. Regional winner vs. Los Angeles, Calif. Regional winner
Amherst, Mass. Regional winner vs. Gainesville, Fla. Regional winner
College Park, Md. Regional winner vs. Seattle, Wash. Regional winner
Columbus, Ohio Regional winner vs. Athens, Ga. Regional winner
Tucson, Ariz. Regional winner vs. Brigham Young (46-11)
Knoxville, Tenn. Regional winner vs. Ann Arbor, Mich. Regional winner
WOMEN’S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES / Oklahoma City, Okla. / ASA Hall of Fame Stadium / Two-bracket, double-elimination / June 3-6
THURSDAY / June 3
Game 1: 1 p.m.
Game 2: 3 p.m.
Game 3: 6 p.m.
Game 4: 8 p.m.
FRIDAY / June 4
Game 5: 7 p.m.
Game 6: 9 p.m.
SATURDAY / June 5
Game 7: 12 p.m.
Game 8: 2 p.m.
Game 9: 7 p.m.
Game 10: 9 p.m.
SUNDAY / June 6
Game 11: 1 p.m.
Game 12: 3 p.m.
Game 13: 7 p.m. (if necessary)
Game 14: 9 p.m. (if necessary)
CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES / Best-of-three / June 7-9
MONDAY / June 7
Game 1: 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
TUESDAY / June 8
Game 2: 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
WEDNESDAY / June 9
Game 3: 8 p.m. (if necessary) (ESPN2)
RANKINGS
May 11, 2010
GATORCOUNTRY.Com TOP 25 / Saturday’s regional results
The GatorCountry.com Top 25 college softball teams for May 11, a cumulative ranking using the ESPN.com/USA Softball Division I and USA Today/NFCA Division I polls. First-place votes are in parentheses (There was no USA Today/NFCA Division I poll May 17):
School (Record) NCAA regional result/next
1. Washington (47-6) beat North Carolina, 1-0. Next: Sunday vs. North Carolina/Nebraska-North Dakota State winner at Seattle, Wash., 5:30 p.m.
2. Michigan (48-6) beat Notre Dame, 8-0 (5). Next: Sunday vs. Notre Dame (47-11) at Ann Arbor, Mich., 1 p.m.
3. Alabama (50-9) beat Lipscomb, 5-2. Next: Sunday vs. Lipscomb (50-12) at Tuscaloosa, Ala., 2:30 p.m.
4. Arizona (45-11) beat Hofstra, 6-0. Next: Sunday vs. Hofstra (45-11) at Tucson, Ariz., 3 p.m.
5. Florida (45-8) beat UCF, 6-0. Next: Sunday vs. FIU (38-20) at Gainesville, Fla., 1 p.m.
6. UCLA (42-11) beat San Diego State, 4-3. Next: Sunday vs. Fresno State (41-20) at Los Angeles, 3 p.m.
7. Georgia Tech (51-10) lost to Oregon, 11-2; beat Auburn, 4-1. Next: Sunday vs. Oregon (35-19) at Atlanta, Ga., 1 p.m.
8. Georgia (45-11) beat Florida State, 5-2. Next: Sunday vs. Radford (38-16) at Athens, Ga., 12 p.m.
9. Oklahoma (45-10) beat Fordham, 1-0. Next: Sunday vs. Fordham (49-11) at College Park, Md., 12 p.m.
10. Arizona State (43-15) beat Long Island, 3-2. Next: Sunday vs. Long Island (39-17) at Tucson, Ariz., 5 p.m.
11. Missouri (48-11) beat Illinois, 3-1. Next: Sunday vs. Illinois (45-7) at Columbia, Mo., 2 p.m.
12. Texas (43-15) did not play. Next: Season completed.
13. California (43-17) beat Kentucky, 1-0. Next: Sunday vs. Ohio State (39-13) at Columbus, Ohio, 2:30 p.m.
14. Louisiana State (45-16) lost to Louisiana-Lafayette, 1-0; lost to Texas A&M, 1-0. Next: Season complete.
15. Oklahoma State (44-16) beat Cornell, 7-0; lost to Hofstra, 5-2. Next: Season completed.
16. Tennessee (44-13) beat Virginia, 11-2. Next: Sunday vs. Louisville (41-18) at Knoxville, Tenn., 1 p.m.
17. Stanford (37-19) lost to Hawaii, 6-3; lost to Texas Tech, 6-3. Next: Season completed.
18. Illinois (45-7) lost to Missouri, 3-1; beat DePaul, 9-1. Next: Sunday vs. Missouri (48-11) at Columbia, Mo., 2 p.m.
19. Texas A&M (44-15) beat McNeese State, 2-0; beat Louisiana State, 1-0. Next: Sunday vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (44-16) at Baton Rouge, La., 2 p.m.
20. Ohio State (39-13) beat Bucknell, 6-0; beat Kentucky, 5-3. Next: Sunday vs. California (43-17) at Columbus, Ohio, 2:30 p.m.
21. Oregon (35-19) beat Georgia Tech, 11-2 (5). Next: Sunday vs. Georgia Tech (51-10) at Atlanta, Ga., 1 p.m.
22. Hawaii (46-13) beat Stanford, 6-3. Next: Sunday vs. Texas Tech (38-17) at Stanford, Calif., 4 p.m.
23. Massachusetts (42-10-1) lost to Boston University, 10-4. Next: Season completed.
24. Florida State (44-18) lost to Georgia, 5-2; lost to Radford, 3-2. Next: Season completed.
25. Notre Dame (47-11) lost to Michigan, 8-0 (5); beat Wright State, 6-5. Next: Sunday vs. Michigan (48-6) at Ann Arbor, Mich., 1 p.m.
ESPN.com / USA SOFTBALL COLLEGIATE TOP 25
May 17, 2010
1. Washington (45-6); 2. Michigan (46-6); 3. Alabama (48-9); 4. UCLA (40-11); 5. Florida (43-8); 6. Arizona (43-11); 7. Georgia Tech (49-9); 8. Oklahoma (43-10); 9. Georgia (43-11); 10. Louisiana State (44-14); 11. Arizona State (41-15); 12. Texas (42-13); 13. California (41-17); 14. Missouri (46-11); 15. Tennessee (42-13); 16. Stanford (36-17); 17. Illinois (43-6); 18.Texas A&M (42-14); 19. Hawaii (44-13); 20. Oklahoma State (43-14); 21. (tie) Ohio State (37-12) and Oregon (33-19); 23. Massachusetts (42-8-1); 24. Florida State (43-16); 25. Notre Dame (45-10).
USA TODAY/NATIONAL FASTPITCH COACHES ASSOCIATION
May 10, 2010
1. Washington (43-5); 2. Michigan (44-6); 3. Arizona (42-9); 4. Alabama (45-9); 5. UCLA (38-10); 6. Florida (42-7); 7. Georgia Tech (46-9); 8. Missouri (44-10); 9. Georgia (43-10); 10. Arizona State (40-13); 11. Oklahoma (40-10); 12. California (38-17); 13. Texas (41-12); 14. Oklahoma State (43-14); 15. Stanford (33-17); 16. Tennessee (42-12); 17. Louisiana State (42-13); 18. Illinois (39-6); 19. Ohio State (35-12); 20. Texas A&M (41-13); 21. Massachusetts (38-7-1); 22. Oregon (33-16); 23. Hawaii (41-12); 24. Notre Dame (44-9); 25. Florida State (41-15).