No. 4 Florida Hosts Chattanooga in Mid-Week Doubleheader Wednesday
Wednesday, March 14, 2012 | Softball
Following a five-game road swing to kick off 2012 Southeastern Conference play, the No. 4 Florida softball team will take a short break from league action Wednesday when it plays host to the Chattanooga Lady Mocs in a mid-week doubleheader at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. First pitch between the two squads is set for 5 p.m., with the nightcap approximately 20 minutes after the conclusion of game one.
Chattanooga and Florida meet for the first time since Feb. 16, 2007, when the Gators took a 5-1 decision at home. Florida holds the all-time series record, 7-2, including a 6-1 record at home in Gainesville and a 1-1 record on neutral ground.
The Gators enter Wednesday's twin bill 23-2 overall on the season, 4-1 in league play after opening their conference slate on the road at Mississippi State March 7, where the Orange and Blue took 1-0 and 8-5 wins from the Bulldogs in Starkville, its 13th and 14th straight in the history of the series. UF then continued its spring break road swing with a trip to Knoxville to take on SEC Eastern Division rival, No. 9 Tennessee, in its first three-game conference series of the 2012 campaign.
Florida took two of three from Tennessee Saturday and Sunday to win the series for its third and fourth victories over Top-25 competition this season, while the Lady Vols got the best of the Gators in a 1-0 decision in the bottom of the seventh in the series opener Friday. For UF, the series win was the third in the last four series with the Vols, having swept in Knoxville in 2008 and in Gainesville in 2009, while the two squads split two games in 2010 after a rain-out shortened the series. Last year, the Gators took three from the Lady Vols at home to win their fourth-straight SEC Eastern Division title, the fifth in school history.
Gator freshman hurler Lauren Haeger (Peoria, Ariz.) was a key piece of UF's success in the series win over the Vols, and for her efforts, the first-year, Deer Valley High School product was named the SEC's Freshman of the Week for the second time this season. Not only was Haeger a factor at the plate, but the first-year Gator earned her first career save in the circle donning the Orange and Blue in UF's series-evening victory Saturday in Knoxville, while picking up the win Sunday after 3.2 innings of scoreless relief in the series finale against the Lady Vols to improve to 7-1 on the season.
Through the past week's five games, Haeger registered a team-leading .417 batting clip, highlighted by her career-best 3-for-4 day at the plate Saturday against the Lady Vols. The USA Softball Women's Junior National Team member reached base in all five games over the past week to extend her current streak to 11, ranking third on the team.
Haeger stranded 11 Tennessee runners on base in just 5.2 innings of work for a 0.00 ERA, including entering the game to get out of bases-loaded situations twice, once Saturday, once Sunday. She earned the save Saturday and win Sunday and started neither game.
In addition to Haeger's success over the conference-opening schedule, sophomore ace Hannah Rogers (Lake Wales, Fla.) put together her third career one-hitter in the first game of the doubleheader between UF and Mississippi State. She then earned the save in the nightcap between the Gators and Bulldogs.
Senior Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) provided UF's one run on a solo shot, her sixth round-tripper of the season, to seal the series victory in favor of Florida.
Scouting Chattanooga
The Lady Mocs enter the match-up with the Gators Wednesday after visiting UF's Sunshine State rival, FSU, in a Tuesday evening tilt. The contest proved to be a battle, as Chattanooga lost a close one, 1-0, to the Seminoles in Tallahassee. Chattanooga's Taylor Deason (9-4) held FSU to one run on seven hits in six innings pitched, with her lone blemish being the game-winning home run given up to FSU's Maddi O'Brien in the second inning. Deason managed to leave 10 FSU runners on base, holding the Seminoles to 3-of-15 with runners on.
Chattanooga enters Wednesday's doubleheader 14-9 overall, but 1-3 on the road. The Lady Mocs step outside of Southern Conference action after starting the league slate with a statement by defeating College of Charleston, voted second by the coaches in the preseason poll, with two five-inning wins, 11-1 and 11-2, and grinding out a 2-1 win at Frost Stadium. The Lady Mocs have compiled a .339 average with seven starters batting above .390. Junior first baseman Kasey Tydingco and senior designated player and pitcher Michelle Fuzzard lead Chattanooga with 25 and 24 RBI, respectively. The Lady Mocs have power throughout the lineup with six players connecting on the team's 26 homers led by senior catcher Vivian Morimoto with seven and followed by Tydingco with six.
In the circle, the Lady Mocs must rely on two options in freshman Taylor Deason and Fuzzard. Deason has filled in extremely well with a SoCon leading 9-4 mark and 2.15 ERA with 70 strikeouts in 81.1 innings of work. Evening her record to 5-5 on the season was Fuzzard against College of Charleston and the contact pitcher has compiled a 2.78 ERA in 63.0 innings pitched. Head Coach Frank Reed is in her 11th season guiding the Lady Mocs and is just 10 victories away from his 900th, which includes 476 wins at Chattanooga State Junior College.
Florida vs. Chattanooga Series History
Florida leads the series, 7-2
Home: 6-1 Away: N/A Neutral: 1-1
Date Location W/L Score
2/23/97 Gainesville, Fla. W 6-1
2/23/97 Gainesville, Fla. W 6-2
3/4/99 Tampa, Fla. W 5-3
3/10/00 Tampa, Fla. L 5-4
2/16/01 Gainesville, Fla. L 4-2
2/15/02 Gainesville, Fla. W 7-6
2/14/03 Gainesville, Fla. W 4-0
2/8/04 Gainesville, Fla. W 2-0
2/16/07 Gainesville, Fla. W 5-1
Gator fans can follow Wednesday's doubleheader a number of different ways online, via video streaming on GatorVision.tv or locally on the radio. 105 The Game, 104.9-FM, will carry both games live locally and online with Adam Schick and former Gator All-American Megan Bush on the call and analysis.
Don't forget to follow the Gators on Twitter @GatorZoneSBall for in-game updates and 'like' UF's official softball Facebook page HERE.
After tangling with Chattanooga Wednesday, Florida will set its sights on its initial home league three-game series versus South Carolina this weekend, March 16-18, with games set for 6 p.m., 1 p.m. and 1 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Saturday's contest will air live on Sun Sports.
