FULLERTON, Calif. – The No. 3 Florida softball team went 1-1 on the first day of the DeMarini Invitational Friday at Cal State Fullerton. The Gators opened with a 12-3 victory over Pacific in five innings but then was held to just two hits in a 2-0 loss to No. 10 Stanford.
No. 3 Florida 12, Pacific 3: The Gators earned their 600th victory by beating Pacific in the tournament opener. Florida had nine hits, three of them home runs in the game.
Senior Francesca Enea extended her hit streak to a team-leading eight games with her seventh career grand slam in the eight-run third inning. Freshman Ensley Gammel earned her second win of the season, striking out two Tigers. She walked two and allowed seven hits.
Nikki Armagost (1-2) tallied the loss for the Tigers (4-7), giving up eight hits, nine runs, including eight earned and three walks. She struck out four Gators.
The Tigers jumped out to an early lead, tallying two runs in the top of the first off two doubles. Lindsey Pierce drew a walk to start the game, moved to second a sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on a wild pitch. She crossed the plate for the first run of the game when Kellee Wilson smoked a double down the left-field line. Karie Wilson then nailed a double to center to drive Kellee in and give the Tigers the 2-0 lead.
The Gators fired right back, tying the score in the bottom of the inning. Junior Aja Paculab led off for Florida with a single to right field. Freshman Brittany Schutte launched one over the right-field fence for her fifth homer of the season, tying the game at two apiece.
Junior Megan Bush led off the second with a solo shot over the center-field fence, giving the Gators their 30th home run of the season. Paculba added one run more after she drew a walk, stole second and advanced to third when catcher Amy Moore threw the ball into the outfield. Schutte walked to put runners at the corners. With two down, the freshman got caught in a rundown trying to take second as Paculba stole home to give the Gators a 4-2 lead.
Pacific cut the lead to one in the top of the third as Kellee Wilson recorded her second RBI double of the day. The Gators retaliated with eight in the third. Junior Kelsey Bruder started things off with a one-out double to left center. Senior Corrie Brooks drew a walk and both runners both into scoring position on a wild pitch.
Junior Tiffany DeFelice smoked a double down the left-field line to score both teammates. With two down, sophomore Michelle Moultrie nailed a double to score Gammel, who had come in to run for DeFelice. Freshman Brittany Walker tallied her first career double, the Gators’ fourth of the day, to score the speedy Moultrie from score for UF’s eighth run. That chased Armagost from the game as Gabby McDaniel came in to pitch. Paculba and Schutte walked to load the bases for Enea, who launched her seventh bomb of the season over the left-field wall to give the Gators the 12-3 lead.
Gammel allowed only one hit in the fourth and fifth and Brooks ended the game when Moore grounded to Brooks, who stepped on the third-base bag for the force out and throw to first baseman Bush.
No. 10 Stanford 2, No. 3 Florida 0: Seniors Corrie Brooks and Enea had the only two hits for the Gators, who fell to 13-2. Enea’s first-inning double extended her hitting streak to nine games, but Stanford (13-2) right-handed pitcher Tegan Gerhart (8-1) got out of the inning and eventually finished with seven strikeouts with just one walk.
The loss went to junior right-hander Stephanie Brombacher, who is now 10-2. Brombacher pitched six innings, allowing five hits, two walks and fanning five.
The Gator defense started the game off strong. Alissa Haber led off with an infield single to short and Ashley Hansen followed with a single to left. Brombacher got Jenna Rich swinging for the first out of the inning. With runners on first and second, Shannon Koplitz grounded out to third baseman Brooks, who stepped on the bag for the force out and threw to junior first baseman Megan Bush to end the inning on a double play.
Brombacher put together a 1-2-3 second with two strikeouts, but Stanford broke the scoreless tie, notching a run in the bottom of the third. Brombacher hit Sarah Hassman with one down, but got the next batter to pop up. Hansen smoked one to junior second baseman Aja Paculba, who was able to stop it, but could not make a play. Rich then hit a blooper to left field to score Hassman, giving the Cardinal a 1-0 lead after three.
Brooks led off the fifth with a single through the right side and sophomore Michelle Moultrie moved her over with her team-leading fifth sacrifice bunt of the season. After freshman Brittany Walker was forced out on a hard-hit grounder to short, Paculba battled with Gerhart for 11 pitches, but the Stanford pitcher ultimately won.
The Gators play two games Saturday at the DeMarini Invitational as they take on tournament host Cal State Fullerton at 4:30 p.m. (ET) and Loyola Marymount at 9 p.m. (ET).