Gators Pitching, Defense 'On the Money' with FSU Up Next

UF catcher Janell Wheaton puts the tag on sliding Georgian Cortni Emanuel to end the Bulldogs' top half of the third with a big out at home plate on a great throw from centerfielder Justine McLean. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)

Gators Pitching, Defense 'On the Money' with FSU Up Next

Monday, April 10, 2017 | Softball, Chris Harry

Photo Gallery by Tim Casey

The No. 1-ranked Seminoles come to town Wednesday to face No. 3 UF.

By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The best pitcher in the country was dominant again Monday night, throwing a complete-game shutout, striking out 14 and winning for the 15th time against no losses. Junior first baseman Kayli Kvistad smashed a two-run home run in the third. Senior Chelsea Herndon had a pinch-hit homer in the sixth to account for the other run in No. 3 Florida's 3-0 victory over Southeastern Conference rival and 18th-ranked Georgia.

The play of the game, though, came in the Georgia half of the third when Sydni Emanuel rapped a hard two-out single to center with sister Cortni Emanuel in scoring position at second. UF centerfielder Justine McLean was playing fairly shallow, but needed to get a perfect break on the ball to have any chance at a play on the super-speedy Bulldog.

"The Emanuel sisters are really fast, so I tried to get to the ball as fast I could," McLean said. "Then I just chucked it."

McLean made a perfect scoop just above the infield and the lefty came up throwing, firing a dead-on seed, on the perfect side of home, to catcher Janell Wheaton.

"I knew she was going to get it to me. We practice that play every day," Wheaton said. "I know her spin. I knew where it was going. It was on the money and I didn't have to move."

Bang-bang. Out at the plate.

"That was really good," UF coach Tim Walton said. "Justine attacked the ball. She was on a mission on that play."

Speaking of missions, the Gators (37-2, 13-1) would appear to be on one, also. In sweeping the Bulldogs (who pulled out of town in a far different mood than they did 10 months ago after the 2016 Super Regional), Florida has now won eight straight and 29 of the previous 30.

Just in time for No. 1 Florida State to come to town.

Justine McLean dares you to run on her.

The @GatorsSB CF has a CANNON: https://t.co/quIELl0aDp pic.twitter.com/qwrxG1QU70
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) April 11, 2017

That's right, the Seminoles (38-1-1) are atop the USA Today/NFCA Poll with a home-and-home Fresh From Florida Sunshine Showdown series against the Gators — Wednesday in Gainesville, then on May 3 in Tallahassee — still to come. On Saturday, UF set the school record for single-game attendance at 2,497. And while the Gators likely won't get that on a weeknight, the joint will be jumping for yet another highly ranked foe.

The highest ranked, actually.

"It's another middle-of-the-week game," Walton said.

That's absolutely true. The Gators have played a bunch of "middle-of-the-week" games, including a handful against in-state opponents, be it North Florida last week, Bethune-Cookman the week before and South Florida the week before that.

But the Seminoles have been to the Women's College World Series the last three seasons. They have an All-American slugger in third baseman Jessica Warren, who's hitting .458 with 15 homers and 55 RBI. They have an ace in Jessica Burroughs, at 20-1, with a 0.60 ERA, 186 strikeouts, just 19 walks and who figures to get the call for a game that will be televised by SEC Network.

Whether Walton throws Barnhill (with her 0.23 ERA) or Delanie Gourley (13-2, 0.83) or Aleshia Ocasio (7-0, 0.84) is anyone's guess.

"Haven't even thought about," Walton said.

And he won't put a whole lot of emphasis on the game, either. No more than any other midweek game, what with a short turnaround from Monday to Wednesday, followed by another quick turn to Friday, when UF opens a weekend series at No. 20 Kentucky. As it stands, the Gators are high-balling through the softball train yard, trying to win another SEC title and remain in position to be at home throughout regional play. What happens against FSU won't change any of that.

But it'll be a fun night.

Look for the Gators to bring their A-game. And should the Seminoles get some metal on the ball, the Florida D-game, as in defense, figures to be ready, also.

"It's been so good," McLean said of UF's playmaking in the field. "The way we're playing right now, every time a ball is hit, I'm like, 'Out! Out! Out!' I just have so much confidence in every single one of us out there."

Like Wheaton said ... on the money.

"The range we have out there is unbelievable," Wheaton said. "If you saw how we practiced every day, nothing that happens out here would surprise you."