Softball Wins Second Doubleheader Of Weekend
Sunday, October 19, 2008 | Softball
Led by a solid all-around performance by sophomore Aja Paculba (Wildomar, Calif.) in game one and an eight-run fifth inning in game two, the University of Florida Softball team completed a doubleheader sweep of Santa Fe College Sunday afternoon at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. Florida won the first game, 4-1, and the second, 13-2.
The Gators took the first game by a score of 4-1 behind a complete-game, six-strikeout performance from senior Stacey Nelson (Los Alamitos, Calif.). Kimberly Squires took the loss for the Saints, giving up four runs on four hits over three innings.
Florida's offense was led by Paculba, who went 1-for-3 in the game, knocking in two, scoring twice and stealing two bases. Sophomore Megan Bush (Anaheim Hills, Calif.) and junior Francesca Enea (Woodland Hills, Calif.) both went 2-for-3 with a run batted in.
Florida got out of the gate quickly with a two-run first inning which saw seven batters appear at the plate. Paculba was the sparkplug for the Gators, walking in the first at-bat and immediately stealing second and third. After Ali Gardiner (Waccabuc, N.Y.) walked to put runners on the corners, Enea hit a sharp single that deflected off Santa Fe's pitcher to give Florida its first run of the game.
Paculba would pick up right where she left off in the second. Following freshmen Alicia Sisco's (Cooper City, Fla.) one-out single to left, the sophomore stepped up to the plate and blasted a two-run home run to left, extending UF's lead to four.
Santa Fe would score their only run in the top of the fifth with a two-out RBI single by Brittany Cannon.
Florida continued to swing the hot bat in game two, scoring thirteen runs on eleven hits. Enea knocked in three of her teammates with a 2-for-3 performance, while Kristine Priebe (Moorpark, Calif.) went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored.
Sophomore Stephanie Brombacher (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) picked up the decision for Florida, allowing only three hits in a complete-game victory. Montana McKibbin received the loss for Santa Fe, surrendering five runs (two earned) on five hits over four innings.
The home team wasted no time in game two, scoring once against in the first. With Kristina Hilberth (Dunedin, Fla.) taking a one-out walk, Enea blasted a double off the 220-feet sign in center, giving the Gators their first lead of the game.
The Gators' offense would once again strike in the second when freshmen Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville , Fla.) drew a base-on-balls. Senior Le-Net Franklin (Belton, Texas) stepped up with two outs and knocked in Moultrie with a double down the right-field line, making it 2-0 in favor of the Orange and Blue.
Junior Corrie Brooks (Christmas, Fla.) led off the home half of the fourth with a single. After freshman Lauren Heil (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) pinch-ran for Brooks, Moultrie reached on an error by Santa Fe's third baseman. Once Priebe advanced the runners to second and third, Heil scored on an error by the Saints' first baseman to increase Florida's lead to three.
The Saints would cut the deficit to one in the fifth when Erica Garcia scored on an error and Morgan Fortson scored on a two-out RBI double by Cannon.
Florida's bats would respond in a big way with an eight-run fifth inning. Paculba once again jump started the offense by singling up the middle to begin the inning. Hilberth knocked Paculba over to third when she reached on an error by the second baseman. Another error committed by Santa Fe allowed Gardiner to reach first and Paculba to cross the plate, extending Florida's lead to 4-2. After senior Brooke Johnson (Lakeland, Fla.) pinch-ran for Gardiner and stole second to join Hilberth in scoring position, Enea singled up the middle and drove both in to make it 6-2. Hines entered the game as a pinch runner for Enea and stole second. Sophomore Kelsey Bruder (Corona, Calif.) followed up the steal with a triple to deep center, furthering the Gators' lead to 7-2. The Gators loaded the bases when Heil and Moultrie walked, and Priebe drove Bruder and Heil in on a single to make it 9-2. After Franklin reached first on a walk, Priebe scored on a fielder's choice that gave the Gators a 10-2 lead and allowed Bush to reach first. Franklin would then make it 11-2 in favor of Florida when she scored before Bush was tagged out in a rundown.
Florida would tack on solo runs in the sixth and seventh when Brooke Johnson launched a solo shot to right-center in the sixth and Priebe crossed the plate in the seventh for the game's final run.
The Gators will wrap up their fall schedule on Thursday, Nov. 13 with a doubleheader against Chipola College starting at 4 p.m.
