Florida 4, Ohio State 0 (Instant Breakdown)
Sunday, May 20, 2018 | Softball, Chris Harry
A quick wrap of Sunday night's regional championship game.
NCAA TOURNAMENT
GAINESVILLE REGIONAL
No. 4 FLORIDA 4, OHIO STATE 0
WHAT HAPPENED: Senior Aleshia Ocasio became the first UF pitcher to throw a seven-inning no-hitter in NCAA Tournament, and she did it in the regional championship round Sunday at Pressly Stadium, striking out a season-high 12 Buckeyes, walking three, and moving the tournament's No. 4 overall seed into the Super Regional round. Ocasio also had a pair of RBI to help her cause in one of the truly special, single-game postseason efforts in program history. The Gators were held hitless through five innings (and had just two for the ganme), but managed to scratch out a couple runs against OSU's Shelby McCombs by drawing 11 walks and with some good base-running. McCombs walked in the game's first run in the first inning and Ocasio made it 2-0 on a fielder's-choice groundout in the fifth. UF scored twice in the sixth inning when Jaimie Hoover tripled to lead off the frame and scored a batter later on SEC Player of the Year Amanda Lorenz's double into the left-center field gap. Ocasio brought Lorenz home four batters later with a sacrifice fly that pushed the Gators ahead 4-0.
PLAY OF THE GAME: It didn't factor on the scoreboard, but UF shortstop Sofia Reynoso kept the Buckeyes hitless in the fifth inning when she made a tremendous play on a bouncer back through the pitcher's circle, courtesy of OSU's Taylor Stevens, that caromed off Ocasio's glove. Reynoso charged the play, picked it clean on the second hop, and gunned Stevens out at first. A terrific play by an outstanding defensive player.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Ocasio was magnificent Sunday, but she's been that throughout her UF career when it comes to regional play. After making brief appearances in Friday's win over Bethune-Cookman and against in Saturday's defeat of OSU, Ocasio's performance in the clincher left her with these career regional numbers: eight games, 289 1/3 innings, just five hits allowed, no runs, six walks and 53 strikeouts.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: Besides everything Ocasio accomplished? How's this one? Lorenz's sixth-inning double to score Hoover made Lorenz -- get this -- 11-for-11 on the season with a runner at third and less than two outs. I'm not very good at math, but I'm pretty sure that's a 1.000 average ... and a monster slugging percentage.
UP NEXT: The Gators (53-8), winners of 10 straight and 19 of the previous 20, will host a Super Region for the sixth straight year. The opponent for that best-of-three tournament and berth to the Women's College World Series will be either No. 14 Texas A&M or No. 16 Baylor, whose regional title series was in an extended rain delay Sunday night at College Station, Texas.
GAINESVILLE REGIONAL
No. 4 FLORIDA 4, OHIO STATE 0
WHAT HAPPENED: Senior Aleshia Ocasio became the first UF pitcher to throw a seven-inning no-hitter in NCAA Tournament, and she did it in the regional championship round Sunday at Pressly Stadium, striking out a season-high 12 Buckeyes, walking three, and moving the tournament's No. 4 overall seed into the Super Regional round. Ocasio also had a pair of RBI to help her cause in one of the truly special, single-game postseason efforts in program history. The Gators were held hitless through five innings (and had just two for the ganme), but managed to scratch out a couple runs against OSU's Shelby McCombs by drawing 11 walks and with some good base-running. McCombs walked in the game's first run in the first inning and Ocasio made it 2-0 on a fielder's-choice groundout in the fifth. UF scored twice in the sixth inning when Jaimie Hoover tripled to lead off the frame and scored a batter later on SEC Player of the Year Amanda Lorenz's double into the left-center field gap. Ocasio brought Lorenz home four batters later with a sacrifice fly that pushed the Gators ahead 4-0.
PLAY OF THE GAME: It didn't factor on the scoreboard, but UF shortstop Sofia Reynoso kept the Buckeyes hitless in the fifth inning when she made a tremendous play on a bouncer back through the pitcher's circle, courtesy of OSU's Taylor Stevens, that caromed off Ocasio's glove. Reynoso charged the play, picked it clean on the second hop, and gunned Stevens out at first. A terrific play by an outstanding defensive player.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Ocasio was magnificent Sunday, but she's been that throughout her UF career when it comes to regional play. After making brief appearances in Friday's win over Bethune-Cookman and against in Saturday's defeat of OSU, Ocasio's performance in the clincher left her with these career regional numbers: eight games, 289 1/3 innings, just five hits allowed, no runs, six walks and 53 strikeouts.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: Besides everything Ocasio accomplished? How's this one? Lorenz's sixth-inning double to score Hoover made Lorenz -- get this -- 11-for-11 on the season with a runner at third and less than two outs. I'm not very good at math, but I'm pretty sure that's a 1.000 average ... and a monster slugging percentage.
UP NEXT: The Gators (53-8), winners of 10 straight and 19 of the previous 20, will host a Super Region for the sixth straight year. The opponent for that best-of-three tournament and berth to the Women's College World Series will be either No. 14 Texas A&M or No. 16 Baylor, whose regional title series was in an extended rain delay Sunday night at College Station, Texas.
Players Mentioned
Florida Softball | Coach Walton, Townsen Thomas & Jocelyn Erickson Postgame Press Conference 5-7-26
Friday, May 08
The Sunflower Tradition - Gators Softball
Monday, May 04
Florida Lacrosse | Coach O'Leary and Theresa Bragg 4-30-26
Friday, May 01
Road to Gameday: Florida Football
Thursday, April 30
