SEC Player of the Week Honor Follows Two Walk-Off Hits for Softball Senior Kelsey Bruder
Monday, April 25, 2011 | Softball
Florida softball's Kelsey Bruder was named the Southeastern Conference's Player of the Week Monday, just a day after collecting back-to-back walk-off hits as Florida won its third consecutive three-game series over the Alabama Crimson Tide in front of a national audience on the ESPN family of networks. The honor marks the senior left fielder's second consecutive league accolade and her third of the season. Bruder clocked a first pitch, three-run, walk-off homer in the bottom of the seventh inning Saturday to help UF to a 6-5, series-evening victory over Alabama. Sunday in extra innings, she connected for an RBI blooper to right field for UF's first run of the game in the bottom of the eighth to propel an eventual tie game heading into the ninth, and followed with a bases loaded infield single that plated the game-winning run as UF defeated the Tide, 3-2.
Watch Bruder's walk-off homer HERE. Florida has now racked up seven weekly honors in 2011, six in the SEC and two nationally.
Bruder combined for seven hits as Florida went 3-1 in the last week of play. The Corona, Calif., native is currently riding a seven-game hit streak, shy of her season-best eight-game strand, while tallying a double, triple and two homers through Florida's past four games, a mid-week win over UCF last Wednesday, and UF's series against Alabama. Florida improved to 40-8 on the season, 15-7 in the SEC and is now 12-8 against Top 25 teams, 2-0 in extra innings this year.
Through 2011 league play, Bruder currently stands first in the SEC in runs scored (25), hits (34), doubles (8), RBI (33) and total bases (72), while also ranking second in slugging percentage (.960). She also ranks second on the Gators' squad this season in batting clip (.408), hits (60), homers (16), RBI (60), slugging percentage (.830), on-base percentage (.508) and walks drawn (30).
Florida and Bruder will wrap up with their final regular season road swing this upcoming weekend when they head to South Carolina for a three-game conference match-up with the Gamecocks. The Gators are 30-19 all-time against USC and hold a 15-11 advantage on the road in Columbia. The Orange and Blue have won 20 straight in the history of the series.
2011 UF SEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS
2/14/11: Stephanie Brombacher, SEC Pitcher of the Week
2/21/11: Stephanie Brombacher, SEC Pitcher of the Week
2/28/11: Hannah Rogers, SEC Pitcher of the Week
3/21/11: Kelsey Bruder, SEC Player of the Week
4/18/11: Kelsey Bruder, SEC Player of the Week
4/25/11: Kelsey Bruder, SEC Player of the Week
2011 UF NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS
2/22/11: Stephanie Brombacher, NFCA National Player of the Week
3/1/11: Michelle Moultrie, USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week
