The Florida softball team took a fall doubleheader from Seminole State College, 10-0 and 10-2, on Friday evening at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. Fans saw many new Gator faces as all seven freshmen took to the field. Newcomers Ensley Gammel and Erin Schuppert each tallied a win while classmate Brittany Walker went 7-for-9 with three RBIs and three runs scored in the two contests.
In game one, Gammel recorded her second shutout win of the fall season, going six innings, allowing only four hits and striking out five. Walker led the way, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Junior Aja Paculba and sophomore Alicia Sisco tallied two hits apiece.
The Gators got on the board in the third, as sophomore Michelle Moultrie drove in two runs on a triple. Walker led off the inning with a single to right field and advanced to second when the right fielder could not field the ball cleanly. She moved to third when Sisco knocked one to left and with one down, Moultrie smoked it to center field, bringing both teammates in for a 2-0 advantage.
The Gators added to their lead in the fifth when Pacubla led off with a double to center. Senior Corrie Brooks fired one past the shortstop and Paculba used her speed to score from second. Sophomore Lauren Heil came in to pinch run and moved to second when junior Tiffany DeFelice drew a walk. After stealing third, Heil scored on a passed ball. Junior Megan Bush added to the Gators’ lead when she launched a two-run homer to right center.
The Gators finished off the first game with four runs off five hits in the bottom of the seventh. Freshman Aleyse Stapf and junior Kelsey Bruder started the inning with two singles to left field. Sophomore Shaunice Harris continued the hit barrage with another single and Stapf scored when the shortstop kicked the ball into the outfield. Freshman Brittany Schutte added another run on a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Bruder. Walker then singled through the left side to bring Harris in and scored herself when Paculba singled and the right fielder threw over the third baseman’s head.
Schuppert came in to pitch the final stanza, striking one out in a 1-2-3 inning. The freshman then started the second game, going six innings, striking out 11 and allowing only three hits and one earned run.
Walker went 3-for-5 in the second game with two RBIs, while Bruder and freshman Kelsey Horton recorded two hits each. Bruder also recorded three RBIs to led UF in game two.
Florida scored early and often in the second game, tallying 10 runs in four of the seven innings. The Gators tallied two in the first as Paculba started the game with a double to center and Walker drove her in on a single up the middle. After advancing to second on a grounder by Bush and stealing third, Walker scored on Bruder’s RBI groundout.
The Raiders cut the lead to one in the second when Kelly Karshner hit a solo shot to left field. The Gators fired back in the bottom of the inning, recording four runs to up their lead by five. Harris recorded another UF lead-off hit with a single through the left side. After Paculba reached on a Seminole error, Bush drove Harris in with a single to center field. Bruder then brought both runners home with a double. And she crossed the plate herself when Horton smoked a single into center.
UF added one more in the third when freshman Samantha Holle drove in Schutte on a double to right center, who had drawn a walk to start the inning. Walker then drove in her second run of the game, scoring Gammel, who came in to pinch hit and walked, on an infield single in the fifth.
Schutte hit the Gators’ second home run of the night, scoring two more for UF in the sixth. Earlier in the inning, Horton drew a walk and with two down, Schutte hit a bomb to center, which slammed off the scoreboard, giving the Gators a 10-1 lead.
Seminole added one more to its total in the top of the seventh when Gammel returned to the circle. After walking leadoff hitter Ashley Frost, the Gator got the next batter to groundout back to the mound. Lauren Miller notched a double to center to score Frost, but Gammel ended the inning with swinging K’s.
Florida tallied 20 runs on 29 hits in the two games as 13 Gators recorded at least one hit, including all six freshman batters. Bruder went 4-for-8 on the night while Paculba was 3-for-9. Four Gators tallied three RBIs (Walker, Bruder, Bush and Schutte).
The Gators play their next game on Thursday, Nov. 5 against Santa Fe College at 6 p.m. at Pressly Stadium. UF defeated the Saints in their first fall game of the season, 3-0, on Oct. 14.