KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 4 Florida softball team split a doubleheader with No. 17 Tennessee, winning game one, 6-0, and falling in game two, 4-3, Friday night in front of a season-high attendance of 1,374 fans at Lee Softball Stadium.
Sophomore Michelle Moultrie led the way for the Gators (35-7, 15-4 SEC), going 4-for-8 with an RBI double in the two games. Moultrie has at least one hit in 17 of his last 20 games.
Junior right-hander Stephanie Brombacher (24-5) picked up the victory in the first game, throwing her sixth shutout of the season with a complete-game performance, allowing only four hits, two walks and striking out four. Freshman Ensley Gammel started game two and went six innings, allowing six hits, two runs, two walks and striking out five. Brombacher relieved in the seventh, pitching 0.2 innings, allowed one hit, two runs (none earned), three walks and striking out one.
Ivy Renfroe (23-3) took the loss in the first game for the Lady Vols (39-9, 15-5 SEC), pitching three innings, allowing three hits, four runs, two walks and striking out three. The victory in the second game went to reliever Cat Hosfield (15-5), who pitched three innings, allowing four hits, two runs, two walks and two Ks.
In the opener, Florida jumped out to a 4-0 lead on Renfroe. With one out, Moultrie singled and senior Francesca Enea and freshman Brittany Schutte walked to load the bases. Junior Megan Bush grounded out to second to score Moultrie. Junior Kelsey Bruder then followed with her ninth home run of the season.
With Hosfield pitching, the Gators tallied two more in the fifth for a 6-0 lead. Freshman Samantha Holle led off with a single to right. Sophomore Lauren Heil ran for her and took second when junior Aja Paculba executed a sacrifice bunt. Moultrie then doubled Heil home and later stole third base. When Tennessee catcher Tiffany Huff’s throw went into the outfield, Moultrie advanced home.
Meanwhile, Brombacher was in cruise control, at one point retiring nine straight Tennessee batters until walking Erinn Webb. A nice backhanded grab by Paculba and throw to first got the first out. Tennessee’s Melissa Brown then lined out to Holle, who made the catch and stepped on first to eliminate Webb.
The Lady Vols threatened in the sixth as Raven Chavanne led off with a single to left and Kelly Grieve followed with a bunt single. With runners on first and second and no outs, Moultrie made two stellar catches in center followed by Enea’s running grab in shallow left to keep UT off the board and preserve Brombacher’s shutout.
In the second game, Florida opened the scoring in the third inning. Moultrie led off with a single to left and Paculba walked to put runners on first and second. After Enea grounded into a force out, Schutte bombed the ball to center to score Paculba. It was Schutte’s 37th RBI of the season, placing the catching third on Florida’s freshman record list.
Tennessee tied it in the bottom of the inning with two outs. Jessica Spigner walked and Huff singled to right before Lauren Gibson was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Nicole Kajitani knocked in the tying run with a single up the middle.
With the game tied 1-1, Hosfield came in to pitch in the fifth and retired three of the four Gators she faced, allowing only a walk to Schutte, who recorded her fourth steal of the season. The Lady Vols took the lead in the bottom of the inning, again with two down. Gibson knocked home Kat Dotson with a single for a 2-1 Tennessee lead.
Florida retook the lead in the seventh. Paculba started things off with a single to left and Schutte drew a one-out walk. With two outs, Bruder hit a slow roller up the third-base line and hustled to first, loading the bases for senior Corrie Brooks. The third baseman singled to left, knocing in two runs for a 3-2 Florida lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, Brombacher replaced Gammel and the Lady Vols loaded the bases with an infield hit, a walk and a Florida error. Huff tied the game with a sacrifice fly to center and Brombacher then recorded a strikeout for the second out. After the Florida pitcher walked another batter to load the bases, Tennessee’s Webb worked the count full before Brombacher walked her with her ninth pitch in the at-bat, giving the Lady Vols the victory.
Florida and Tennessee conclude their series Saturday at 1 p.m.
SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE
Eastern Division Conference Overall
(Rank) Team W-L Pct. W-L Pct.
(3) Florida 15-4 .789 35-7 .833
(16) Tennessee 15-5 .750 39-9 .813
(13) Georgia 14-6 .700 37-8 .822
Kentucky 11-11 .500 29-18 .617
South Carolina 1-21 .045 11-34 .244
Western Division Conference Overall
(Rank) Team W-L Pct. W-L Pct.
(5) Alabama 15-4 .789 36-9 .800
(15) Louisiana State 14-5 .737 36-10 .783
Arkansas 8-11 .421 25-21 .543
Mississippi State 7-15 .318 26-24 .520
Mississippi 5-13 .278 23-21 .523
Auburn 6-16 .273 23-22 .511
(Rank) USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll
RESULTS
FRIDAY / April 23
Florida 6-3, Tennessee 0-4
SCHEDULE
SATURDAY / April 24
Florida at Tennessee, 1 p.m.
Louisiana State at Kentucky (2), 1 p.m.
South Carolina at Georgia (2), 1 p.m.
Alabama at Arkansas (2), 2 p.m.
Auburn at Mississippi (2), 5 p.m.
SUNDAY / April 25
Louisiana State at Kentucky, 12 p.m.
South Carolina at Georgia, 2 p.m.
Alabama at Arkansas, 2 p.m.
Auburn at Mississippi, 2 p.m.
RANKINGS
April 20, 2010
USA TODAY/NATIONAL FASTPITCH COACHES ASSOCIATION
1. Washington (35-4); 2. Michigan (33-5); 3. Arizona (35-7); 4. Florida (34-5); 5. Alabama (35-9); 6. UCLA (30-9); 7. Oklahoma State (39-7); 8. Georgia Tech (41-6); 9. Arizona State (35-9); 10. Stanford (30-9); 11. Missouri (32-8); 12. Georgia (36-8); 13. California (33-11); 14. Oklahoma (32-10); 15. Texas (35-9); 16. Louisiana State (36-9); 17. Tennessee (37-8); 18. Illinois (31-5); 19. Ohio State (26-11); 20. Oregon (30-6); 21. Massachusetts (27-7); 22. Texas A&M (35-11); 23. Notre Dame (34-7); 24. Florida State (37-12); 25. Hawaii (36-11).
ESPN.com/USA SOFTBALL DIVISION I
1. Washington (35-4); 2. Michigan (33-5); 3. Arizona (35-7); 4. Florida (34-5); 5. Alabama (35-9); 6. Georgia Tech (41-6); 7. UCLA (30-9); 8. Oklahoma State (39-7); 9. Arizona State (35-9); 10. Georgia (36-8); 11. Stanford (30-9); 12. Louisiana State (36-9); 13. Oklahoma (32-10); 14. Texas (35-9); 15. Missouri (32-8); 16. Oregon (30-8); 17. California (33-11); 18. Tennessee (37-8); 19. Illinois (31-5); 20. Florida State (37-12); 21. Texas A&M (35-11); 22. Massachusetts (25-7); 23. Hawaii (35-11); 24. Ohio State (26-11); 25. Notre Dame (34-7).