Special report on the Florida Gators softball team:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A career night for senior Nicole DeWitt at the plate and a strong pitching performance from Aleshia Ocasio propelled the Florida softball team to a 10-0 victory over No. Texas A&M Sunday night at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
Ocasio (11-2) allowed only one hit and no walks, while she struck out six in the complete-game effort. She also was 3-for-3 at the plate with a run scored. DeWitt tallied a career-high five RBI after a two-run home run in the first and a three run double off the top of the wall in the third.
A pair of home runs in the first inning set the tone for the offense and gave the Gators (26-3, 6-2 SEC) a 5-0 lead. DeWitt opened up the scoring after she blistered her seventh home run of the season to put Florida ahead 2-0 and freshman Hannah Adams hit a line drive three-run home run to cap the scoring in the frame.
A follow up walk by Jaimie Hoover forced Aggies (29-6, 3-2 SEC) starting pitcher Kayla Poynter (1-1) out of the circle and brought in Trinity Harrington. Harrington hit Sophia Reynoso with the first pitch to put runners on first and second before getting out of the inning.
Jordan Matthews added an RBI single in the bottom of the second inning to push the lead out to 6-0 over the Aggies. DeWitt scored on the play after she reached on a four-pitch walk to lead off the inning and advanced into scoring position after Kayli Kvistad hit a hard grounder to first.
DeWitt stayed hot at the plate as she nearly recorded her eighth home run of the season. The Garden Grove, Calif. native hit a bases clearing double off the top of the padding in left field that gave Florida a commanding 9-0 lead over Texas A&M.
Florida tacked on one more run in the bottom of the fourth to take a 10-0 lead. With the bases loaded and one out, Amanda Lorenz plated pinch runner Haven Sampson on a RBI groundout to the right side of the Aggies infield.
Florida will look to close out the series against Texas A&M tomorrow at 7 p.m. on the SEC Network.
Walton’s Words
On DeWitt’s career-high five RBI performance…
“Yea, she saw it well tonight. She obviously goes 2-for-3 on paper, but she stung the ball today. She hit it hard and was probably a couple of inches away from two more RBI and an inch away from another RBI. I’m just proud of her balance and I was really looking forward to this season for her because she has really grown as a player. To single-handedly impact the game today like she did was huge.”
On Ocasio’s one-hitter against a good Texas A&M offense…
“You’re either early or you’re late and they couldn’t get on-time because of her different speeds and other things. She located the ball well tonight and for her one start during the week, she goes out and does a really good job. Can’t forget about what she did at the plate today either, it’s like having two weapons in one. She definitely gives us a lot of options.
Notable Notes
· The Gators extended their all-time series lead over the Aggies to 15-4.
o Florida remains a perfect 15-0 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium this season.
o The team is now 6-0 on the season when playing on network television.
o UF is now 10-3 on the season against Top 25 opponents.
· Florida scored in the first inning for the 21st time in 29 games play this season after scoring five.
o It’s also the 20th time this season that the Gators scored four or more runs in a single inning.
· Nicole DeWitt tallied her seventh home run of the season with a two-run shot in the first. DeWitt finished with a career-high five RBI in the game.
o The home run tied her season-high of seven posted in 2016.
· Aleshia Ocasio threw her first complete-game one-hitter of the season as the Gators shut out the Aggies tonight.
o It’s the seventh shutout of a Top 25 team on the season for the Gators.
· Hannah Adams has now scored in 17 of the last 19 games played.
o She finished 2-for-3 at the plate and hit her first career home run in a Florida uniform.
· Amanda Lorenz drew a walk to extend her reached base safely streak to all 29 games and recorded an RBI while scoring twice.
o Last season Lorenz reached safely in all but two games for the Gators.