Softball heads into postseason, but which Gators will show up?
Wednesday, May 9, 2012 | Softball, Chris Harry
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Back-to-back losses in the final two games -- with a league title on the line, no less -- was a tough way to close out the regular season, but Florida softball coach Tim Walton found an orange-and-blue silver lining in it all.
“We wouldn't have had a chance to be so disappointed if we hadn't played the way we did Friday,” Walton said. “We were great Friday.”
Needing to win two of three in their series at No. 3 Alabama to claim a share of the Southeastern Conference title, the seventh-ranked Gators jumped on the Crimson Tide early in the series opener and went on to a 4-1 victory, handing 'Bama ace Jackie Traina just her second loss in 31 decisions.
UF starter Hannah Rogers was sensational, holding the Tide to just three hits and striking out seven in running her record to 26-4. She was so good, Walton and his staff decided to send Rogers out again for Game 2 Saturday.
“It didn't work,” Walton said.
Alabama 9, Florida 1.
That left the SEC on the line in Sunday's rubber game. Again, Walton went with Rogers, who the Tide got to for three runs in the second inning the day before. This time, it was four runs in the first -- Rogers did not record an out -- and Alabama rolled to clinch a tie with Tennessee for the league crown with a 5-3 win.
The way Walton prefers to see it, the Gators gave themselves a chance. And that's how he framed things heading into a postseason that started in the very same place the regular season ended.
Instead of leaving that series behind them and returning home to prepare for the SEC Tournament, Walton and his players remained in Alabama this week because the conference tournament is in Tuscaloosa. The Gators (44-10) open play Friday LSU (34-21) at noon at Rhoads Stadium.
UF and LSU split an April 24 double-header in Gainesville. The Tigers' win in the second game was the start of current seven-game span during which the Gators have lost five times.
Now comes the postseason and its win-or-go-home stakes.
“I didn't get overly excited when we rattled off 10, 11, 12 [wins], whatever it was, so I'm not going to be overly disappointed about this,” Walton said Wednesday night. “I don't think we've played any differently. The pitching staffs have been a lot better. We've kicked it around some. But I don't think we're a bad team ... and I don't think we're a great team right now, either.”
The Gators may do some things differently, given the do-or-die format of the postseason, but there's not any wholesale changes the team can make. It's the same team that's had to persevere since losing its best player, junior catcher Brittany Schutte, to a broken jaw more than two months ago and has struggled at times late in the season to take advantage of situational hitting opportunities.
It's a team that will lean heavily on senior center fielder and lead-off hitter Michelle Moultrie, who Wednesday was named SEC Player of the Year after leading the SEC in batting average (.395) and fielding percentage (1.000).
Moultrie, by the way, had an extra-inning double and game-winning RBI in UF's first game against LSU last month.
“Take Michelle Moultrie off our team, where would we be? Where would we have finished? What position would we be in?” Walton asked. “She's just a phenomenal player and, I'm serious, if you took her off our team I don't think we'd be feeling too great about ourselves right now.”
We'll see how the Gators feel after today, but regardless of the outcome there will be more softball. The NCAA will announce its tournament bracket Sunday night. Florida, which has remained near the top of the standings most of the season, is expected to host a regional.
