Brombacher's perfect game caught her by surprise
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 | Softball, Cross Country, Scott Carter
Stephanie Brombacher was cruising along doing her thing in the pitching circle Saturday against N.C. State. She wasn't her sharpest, but the Wolfpack couldn't tell as they went down one after another in a season-opening tournament in Clearwater.
The Gators cruised as well, winning 9-0 in five innings. It wasn't until the game ended and several of her teammates started jumping up and down that Brombacher asked what was going on.
“You threw a perfect game,'' they shouted back.
“I knew I was getting people out, but it's not something that processed in my mind,'' Brombacher said Tuesday.
When asked if she knew from the start of the game whether she had good stuff, Brombacher replied “no way.''
That was more the case in her first career perfect game, thrown March 25 of last season against USF. The Bulls had beaten the Gators earlier in the season, and Brombacher took the mound with a purpose that day last spring. She ended up with perfection, winning 10-0 in five innings.
“They beat us and that kind of got on me,'' she said. “I wasn't going to let that happen again. I really went after their hitters.''
For her work against N.C. State – she needed only 67 pitches to retire all 15 batters she faced – Brombacher was named SEC Pitcher of the Week on Monday. She also defeated Marshall and USF in Clearwater to start her senior season 3-0.
Brombacher's perfect game on Saturday was her second and just the fifth in school history. Gators assistant coach Jenny Gladding threw one in 2004, and UF Hall of Famer Chelsey Sakizzie tossed a pair in 1997 and 1998.
“It's just one of those things that happen,'' Brombacher said.
