Softball Records Two Wins against Tallahassee Community College
Sunday, October 12, 2008 | Softball
In the first of Florida's fall doubleheaders, the Gators defeated Tallahassee Community College, 11-0, tallying 17 hits. In the second game, they recorded two runs in the bottom of the seventh to beat the Eagles, 2-1.
Senior Kristina Hilberth (Dunedin, Fla.) was 4-for-5 on the day, scoring three runs, while sophomore Aja Paculba (Wildomar, Calif.) went 6-for-8 and also scored three runs. Senior Kim Waleszonia (Fontana, Calif.) led the Gators with three RBI over the two games, followed by Franklin's and Enea's two. Senior Stacey Nelson (Los Amaitos, Calif.) pitched seven innings total, striking out 11, allowing six hits with no walks or earned runs. Sophomore Kelsey Bruder (Corona, Calif.) also pitched seven, striking out four and allowing five hits and four walks but no runs.
In game one, UF tallied runs in every inning as Paculba and Hilberth led the way with three hits each. Waleszonia, junior Francesca Enea (Woodland Hills, Calif.) and senior Le-Net Franklin (Belton, Texas) each drove in two runs as well.
Paculba nailed a triple to center field in the bottom of first for the first hit of the game. After a base hit by senior Ali Gardiner (Waccabuc, N.Y.), Enea drove Paculba home on a single. UF recorded two runs in the second when Franklin smoked an inside-the-park home run to center. With two outs in the third, Bruder doubled, followed by a double by sophomore Megan Bush (Anaheim Hills, Calif.), who drove Bruder home for another UF run.
Nelson pitched three hitless innings. In her last inning of work, she allowed three hits but no runs. In the bottom of the fourth, the Gators tallied three more hits and two more runs. The first run of the inning came on a double steal as Paculba crossed the plate when pinch runner Ami Austin (Ormond Beach, Fla.) took second. The second run came on Enea's second RBI single of the game. In the fifth, Hilberth reached base on a throwing error by the Eagles' second baseman and recorded steals at second and third. Waleszonia drove Hilberth in on a double, but was thrown out at third to end the inning.
Freshman Alicia Sisco (Cooper City, Fla.) recorded her first RBI wearing the Orange and Blue, scoing Paculba on a single in the sixth. In the seventh, the Gators unloaded three more runs starting with Hilberth recording a run on a Waleszonia sacrifice fly. Senior Brooke Johnson (Lakeland, Fla.), who singled during her at bat, scored a run on a wild pitch. The final run came on a Gardiner RBI, scoring Paculba, who also registered a single.
Nelson struck out six of the 15 batters she faced. Bruder also pitched three innings and did not allow a hit, walked three and struck out one. She recorded the save for her work.
Game two was a pitchers' duel as neither team scored until the seventh inning. Bruder started the game, going four innings, allowing five hits, striking out three and walking one. Nelson came in for three innings of relief work, allowing three hits and striking out five.
Although the Eagles managed to record five singles over the first three innings, they could not manufacture a run. The Gators did not register a hit until the fourth inning when Paculba knocked a single off Morgan O'Keefe, but was later called out while stealing second.
In the top of the seventh with still no runs in the game, Jordan Martin reached on an error by newcomer Lauren Heil (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) with one out. Heather Mauldin advanced Martin to second and stopped at first on a fielder's choice. Andrea Salazar hit a dribbler back to Nelson but beat out the throw to drive Martin in, who scored the unearned run on the throw to first. With runners on first and third, Nelson got Deanna Fecca to ground out to Heil to retire the side.
The Gators came to their final at bat down one. Bush walked and Austin came in to pinch run. Sophomore Kristine Priebe (Moorpark, Calif.) laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runner over. Franklin singled to advance Austin to third and then Hilberth stepped in as a pinch hitter and nailed a single tie the game. Franklin got on base with a single of her own and scored the winning run on another Waleszonia RBI.
Florida takes the field again on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 1 p.m. against North Georgia College and State University for the second of four fall doubleheaders.
