Batman and Robin have nothing on Florida’s dynamic pitching duo of Stacey Nelson and Stephanie Brombacher.
Nelson, a senior right-hander from Los Alamitos (Calif.) High School, tossed a five-inning one-hitter, posting eight strikeouts with only 55 pitches as No. 2 Florida beat Texas Tech 11-0 in five innings in the Gators’ opening game in the Lipton Invitational Friday at the Katie Seashole Pressly Softball Stadium.
Then Brombacher, a sophomore right-hander from American Heritage High School in Pembroke Pines, threw a five-inning no-hitter, walking one while striking out nine on 80 pitches, as Florida blanked Coastal Carolina 8-0.
The victories by coach Tim Walton’s Gators improved their record to 5-1 heading into the second day of the tournament. Florida is scheduled to play Florida Atlantic and South Alabama in back-to-back games beginning at 12:30 p.m.
In other games Friday, Georgia Tech beat Florida Atlantic, 13-2; South Alabama beat Coastal Carolina, 12-1; Georgia Tech beat South Alabama, 5-2; and Florida Atlantic beat Texas Tech, 7-4.
Brombacher’s no-hitter, the first of her Florida career, was the first no-hitter by a Florida pitcher since Lindsay Littlejohn threw a perfect game against Longwood at Gainesville on Feb. 19, 2006. Brombacher improved to 3-0 for the season and 23-0 for her career.
Brombacher had plenty of offensive support from her teammates, who managed six hits. Center fielder Kim Waleszonia matched a school-record with a pair of triples. Her first triple drove in Florida’s first run, and Francesca Enea knocked her home with a sacrifice fly.
The Gators made it 6-0 with four runs in the second inning, highlighted by Kristine Priebe’s two-run homer over the 220-feet sign in dead center. Waleszonia’s second triple of the game drove in Aja Paculba later in the inning and Enea brought home Waleszonia with an RBI single.
In their opening victory, Florida took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Enea’s two-run double and had an eight-run inning for the second straight game to back Nelson’s second straight one-hitter as she moved to 2-1 on the season. The Gators’ 11 runs resulted from 13 hits and three walks off a pair of Red Raiders pitchers.
Kelsey Bruder led Florida’s attack with a 3-for-3 performance, while Paculba, Waleszonia, Ali Gardiner and Enea each had two hits. Gardiner had three RBI, two of them with a 2-run homer to start off the eight-run third inning. Corrie Brooks later had a two-run double and Gardiner drove in a third run with an single. When the inning ended, Florida had its eight runs on eight hits. Paculba also had two RBI.
WOMEN’S TENNIS: No. 10 Florida dropped a 4-3 decision to No. 3 UCLA in the round of 16 at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships Friday at the University of Wisconsin’s Neilson Tennis Stadium.
UCLA, the defending NCAA champions, took a 2-0 lead over the Gators (4-2), who roared back for a 3-2 lead thanks to singles victories by Jessica Alexander, Joanna Mather and Marrit Boonstra. But the Bruins ralled for the victory.
Florida plays No. 9 Southern California Saturday.
UCLA 4, FLORIDA 3
SINGLES
1. Marrit Boonstra (UF) def. Andrea Remynse, 5-7, 6-3, 6-0.
2. Yasmin Schnack (UCLA) def. Anastasia Revzina, 1-6, 7-5, 6-2.
3. Maya Johansson (UCLA) def. Megan Alexander, 6-1, 6-3.
4. Joanna Mather (UF) def. Ashley Joelson, 6-3, 6-4.
5. Jessica Alexander (UF) def. Carling Seguso, 6-1, 7-6.
6. Ana Victoria Lind (UCLA) def. Barbara Pinterova, 6-2, 6-4.
DOUBLES
1. Andrea Remynse-Yasmin Schnack (UCLA) def. Megan Alexander-Marrit Boonstra, 9-7.
2. Jessica Alexander-Anastasia Revzina (UF) def. Ashley Joelson-Carling Seguso, 9-7.
3. Stephanie Wetmore-Jordan Dockendorf (UCLA) def. Joanna Mather-Barbara Pinterova, 8-6.
MEN’S TENNIS: No. 7 Florida suffered another narrow defeat in as many matches as No. 11 Stanford scored a 4-3 victory in the round of 16 of the ITA National Team Indoor Championships Friday in Chicago.
Florida won the doubles point. Sophomore Alex Lacroix and freshman Carlos Cueto defeated Alex Clayton and Bradley Klahn, 8-6, and freshman Joey Burkhardt and redshirt junior Antoine Benneteau beat Richard Wire and Blake Muller, 9-8 (7-5).
The Gators fell behind after losing two singles but Lacroix earned his eighth victory of the season by downing Klahn, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1. Florida went up 3-2 with Antoine Benneteau’s victory at No. 3 singles, but single victories by Stanford’s Wire and Muller gave the Cardinal the match and sent Florida into a 10 a.m. consolation match against No. 18 Michigan.
STANFORD 4, FLORIDA 3
SINGLES
1. Alex Clayton (S) def. Carlos Cueto, 6-2, 6-2.
2. Alex Lacroix (UF) def. Bradley Klahn, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1.
3. Antoine Benneteau (UF) def. Matt Bruch, 6-2, 7-5.
4. Ryan Thacher (S) def. Joey Burkhardt, 6-2, 6-2.
5. Richard Wire (S) def. Jeff Dadamo, 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-1.
6. Blake Muller (S) def. Erik Corace. 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3.
Order of finish: 4, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
DOUBLES
1. Antoine Benneteau-Joey Burkhardt (UF) def. Richard Wire-Blake Muller, 9-8 (7-5).
2. Jeff Dadamo-Daniel Cash (UF) vs. Matt Bruch-Ryan Thacher, DNF with match tied 8-8.
3. Alex Lacroix-Carlos Cueto (UF) def. Alex Clayton-Bradley Klahn, 8-6.