PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – All and all, Florida softball coach Tim Walton has to be very pleased with his team’s performance in the three-day Cathedral City Classic, which ended with the No. 2 Gators beating UNLV, 5-1, Saturday afternoon.
Sophomore Aja Paculba of Wildomar, Calif., went 2-for-4 and junior Francesca Enea of Woodland Hills, Calif., went 2-for-3 in support of sophomore right-hander Stephanie Brombacher, who earned her seventh victory of the season without a defeat, and senior right-hander Stacey Nelson, who picked up her first save.
Florida, which dropped a 1-0, nine-inning decision Friday night to No. 3 Washington and its Canadian Olympian Danielle Lawrie, who allowed only two hits while striking out 12 and walking five, moved to 12-2 before heading home for a Wednesday afternoon showdown with No. 4 Michigan at 4 p.m. Florida downed Fresno State, Arizona State, Nevada and UNLV in the tournament.
Florida took a 3-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Freshman Michelle Moultrie of Jacksonville began things with her first career hit with an inside-the-park home run to right field. Paculba followed with a single and senior Kim Waleszonia of Fontana, Calif., bunted her way on to first and a throwing error moved Paculba to third. Waleszonia then stole second base and senior Ali Gardiner of Waccabuc, N.Y., walked to load the bases. Enea was hit by a pitch to force in a run and junior Corrie Brooks of Christmas, Fla., walked to force in another run.
Meanwhile, Brombacher sailed along with a two-hitter, striking out seven and walking two in four innings as she moved to 7-0 this season and 27-0 in her career. Walton brought in Nelson, Friday night’s hard-luck loser to Lawrie and Washington, and the Huskies scored their only run in the sixth. Nelson hit Marissa Nichols with a pitch. She moved to second on a fielder’s choice and to third on a wild pitch. UNLV’s Jaci Hull then one-hopped the center-field fence with a double to bring in Nichols.
Florida added its two insurance runs against reliever Jessica O’Connor in the seventh. Paculba started things with a single to center. Waleszonia sacrificed her to second and Gardiner drew her third walk and Enea followed with a run-scoring single to center to plate Paculba. Brooks drew a walk to load the bases, and UNLV brought in reliever Traci Odegard, who threw an illegal pitch to score Gardiner.
Nelson finished up the game for her 16th career save. She allowed two hits, one earned run and struck out two.
Florida was 4-1 in the tournament, 3-1 against ranked teams in facing Top 25 teams for the first time this season. Waleszonia batted .333 with six hits (including the only two Friday night against Lawrie and Washington) and two RBI. Enea batted .308 with four hits and four RBI, while Paculba went 4-for-14 (.286). Sophomore Megan Bush of Anaheim Hills, Calif., had three home runs, including a solo homer and grand slam in the same inning during an 8-2 victory over defending NCAA champion Arizona State late Thursday night.
Brombacher was 3-0, allowing 13 hits and three walks in 16 scoreless innings. Nelson went 1-1 with a save, allowing four runs and 12 hits in 19 innings while striking out 20, five more than Brombacher.