(SB) Ongoing UF Softball Commentary

I read on another site that the team was supposed to fly out Wednesday, but didn't leave Tampa until 7 am. Thursday. Playing a late game with jet lag, without their leader, plus without Goddard, and then going up against maybe the best pitcher in D1 and the #1 overall team, they just weren't mentally ready, IMO. Flush it, get ready for UC Riverside this afternoon (4 pm EST) and then Oregon & Fullerton Saturday. Go Gators!!

 

I love Tim Walton and have been an avid Gator softball fan even before he was hired. He is, no doubt, one of the greatest softball coaches ever. However, no one is perfect and disagreeing with his decision to play only 2 outfielders is not thinking I know more than him. I was simply pointing out the truth - that last night against UCLA that strategy didn't work. I started this thread last year and it's now up to 68 pages of, hopefully, both objective and subjective discussion that allows us to agree or disagree in a respectful way. Coach Walton used the 5 infielder, 2 outfielder alignment several times with Katie Chronister and it worked quite a lot. Trlicek is primarily a drop ball pitcher who normally induces a lot of ground balls, so trying that set-up early in the season is perfectly understandable, IMO. My personal opinion, from watching literally hundreds of softball games over the last 25 years, is that for the long haul against really good teams, you'll get burned more than not. Last night was one of those cases, although the outcome of the game wouldn't have changed either way.

 

Thanks for the update on Gigante. I've looked and can't find any details on Goddard. I don't even know if she's with the team in Palm Springs.

 

Somebody posted on another thread that the Gator announcers said Goddard is lost for the season. By the way we lost both games today. Got 1-hit by Oregon and beat 8-0, as Elizabeth Hightower gave up 3 HR's in 4.2 innings and Rylee Trlicek gave up another bomb. In Game 2, Cal St. Fullerton beat us 5-4 in 8 innings on a 2-run walk off HR off Hightower in the bottom of the 8th after the Gators had taken a 4-3 lead in the top of the inning. Lexie Delbrey started the game and the 3 runs against her were all unearned, although there was a 2-run HR involved. Hightower relieved in the 4th inning withy UF trailing 3-0 and held them scoreless while the Gators mounted a comeback and tied the game in the 6th, but EH gets her second loss of the day by allowing the walkoff homer. The Gators outhit the Titans 10-8 , plus had 4 walks to their 0, but we stranded 10 baserunners and just couldn't get clutch hits most of the game. Florida is now 11-3, having lost to the only 3 really good teams they've played so far. It seems they may have been overrated to start the season, but time will tell. The team is off until they go to Birmingham to play UAB Friday, Saturday & Sunday.