The 21-game winning streak of the top-ranked Florida Gators softball team has convinced coach Tim Walton that his team can win every game it plays. When asked what he looked forward to this weekend, Walton said, “I’m looking forward to winning.”
What else would you expect the head coach of the Gators (32-2 overall, 11-0 SEC East) to say going into perhaps the biggest series of the college softball season against No. 4/5 Alabama (26-4, 6-2 SEC West) this Saturday and Sunday at the Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville. It’s the sixth time this season that Florida has played an opponent from the Top 10.
“That’s going to be a hard challenge,” Walton said. “They’re a great team. I don’t think you’re going to have any 1-0 ballgames this weekend. I think it (the series) could be a slugfest, and we’re going to have to do a good job coming out swinging the bat as well.”
The series easily could have been a No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown had the Crimson Tide not suffered a pair of one-run setbacks at No. 17 Louisiana State last week before regrouping with a three-game rout of Mississippi, scoring 31 runs in 17 innings.
The Gators (32-2) have been looking forward to this challenge since the season started. Alabama handed Florida its only SEC loss last season, a 1-0 defeat in Tuscaloosa. But the Gators responded by winning the next three matchups, including a come-from-behind victory in the SEC Championship Game when Mary Ratliff hit a grand slam in the bottom of the sixth for a 4-1 victory.
“We’re going to come out with the same attitude we did against Tennessee,” said Ali Gardiner. “Good pitching. Good hitting. Good speed. It’s the same thing. It’s what the SEC is all about. Alabama’s always been a tough competitor and I think we’re all really excited. We’ve been looking forward to it for a long time, but now it’s here and we’re ready to go.”
Florida’s priority will be keeping Alabama’s hitters off the bases. Alabama comes into the game ranking third in the country in stolen bases, with 3.3 per game, led by centerfielder Brittany Rogers’ NCAA-leading 33 stolen bases.
The Gators will need to shut down the top of Alabama’s lineup to prevent them from continuing to run wild on the base paths. Rogers, Alabama’s leadoff hitter, also leads the nation in batting with a .500 average. The Tide’s No. 2 hitter, third baseman Kelly Montalvo, comes into the game having drawn 31 walks, an average of just over one per game. Junior Charlotte Morgan has a team-high 29 RBI, while sophomore Whitney Larsen has seven home runs.
Another key for the Gators will be attacking Alabama’s pitchers early and forcing the Tide to go to the bullpen, something the Gators have been able to do all season.
“We are going to try to break down all their pitchers if we can and try to put ourselves in position to handle all three of their pitchers as opposed to getting caught up with just one,” Walton said.
Alabama’s three-headed pitching staff is led by sophomore left-hander Kelsi Dunne (12-0, 0.56 ERA), whose numbers are comparable to Florida’s aces, Stacey Nelson (17-2, 0.36 ERA) and Stephanie Brombacher (15-0, 0.67 ERA). Left-hander Morgan (8-4, 1.95 ERA) and freshman right-hander Amanda Locke (6-0, 1.61 ERA) also should see action.
Florida should be prepared heading into the series after sweeping No. 6/7 Tennessee last weekend by an 18-1 margin, an accomplishment that put the Gators one step closer to achieving a conference championship.
“Sweeps are very important for us,” Walton said. “Any time you’re looking at a conference championship or an opportunity to win a conference championship, you need to make some sweeps and you’ve got to beat some great teams.”
The series begins at 1 p.m. Saturday with a doubleheader. The series finale is at 2 p.m. Sunday.