Gators freshman Jordan Matthews watches as her three-run homer takes off in flight.
Orange & Blue Notes: Small Tweak, Huge Result for Matthews, More Gators Tidbits
Sunday, May 27, 2018 | Softball, Scott Carter
What was that, again?
With a buzz still in the air following Florida's improbable 5-3, walk-off win over Texas A&M to advance to the Women's College World Series, the technical details of the bat used by hero Jordan Matthews didn't register at first.
However, a story unfolded as the press conference continued and Walton was asked exactly what a "minus-9" bat meant. According to JustBats.com, fastpitch softball bats have a drop-weight ranking from minus-8 to minus-13. The drop weight indicates the length-to-weight ratio.
In her first season with the Gators, Matthews, a freshman from El Dorado High in Anaheim, Calif., used a minus-10 bat (34 inches, 24 ounces). She stepped to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning against Aggies pitcher Trinity Harrington carrying a 34-inch, 25-ounce bat.
Matthews used the heavier bat during her high school career, but after suffering a serious knee injury in her final prep game that required reconstructive surgery, Matthews opted for a lighter bat as she worked her lower body back into shape over the course of the season.
While Walton had tinkered with the idea of Matthews using a heavier bat to perhaps increase her pop, she made the final decision less than four hours prior to Saturday's Game 3 in the Gainesville Super Regional.
Good instincts, kid.
"I'm not going to take any of the credit,'' Walton said. "I don't want anybody to write 'Tim Walton changes her bat.' This is the kid. She did that. I just happened to write her name in the lineup."
Is Walton ever glad she did. Matthews went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, her two-out, two-strike home run in the bottom of the seventh inning carving her place all-time in Gators lore. Matthews fouled off multiple pitches to get the one she could drive.
"It was an impressive at-bat,'' Aggies coach Jo Evans said. "She is I'm sure is going to remember that for the rest of her life."
Matthews stepped to the plate with four home runs in 182 plate appearances. Her fifth was an opposite-field dart that ignited an orange and blue party inside Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
More than a half hour after her feat, Matthews remained as calm as she had at the plate with teammates Amanda Lorenz at second and Kayli Kvistad at first.
"I was just trying to score Amanda, honestly, not do anything too big and stay within myself,'' Matthews said.
Finally, someone asked how much she wanted to be at the plate in that situation, considering her penchant in high school for putting games away with her bat.
"Badly,'' Matthews said. "I kept picturing that."
Walton said he didn't actually see the ball clip off the scoreboard in left-center field. He was too busy frantically waving Lorenz home with the tying run, expecting the ball to hit off the top of the wall.
In the glow of victory, he seemed fine with that. Matthews made sure of it.
"Practiced all day long [with the heavier bat],'' Walton said. "I was really proud of her, not just for the home run – that was a 'wow' moment – but I was proud of her [because] her swings were good. All week long she hit the ball really, really good."
NUMBERS, NUMBERS
No game is scrutinized by numbers as much as baseball and that holds true of Florida's surprising recent skid.
The Gators returned home Saturday following an 11-day road trip that included getting swept at Mississippi State to close the regular season and then two losses in three games at the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala.
Florida (42-17) faced little adversity on the way to clinching the regular-season SEC crown, but since a 9-3 home win over Georgia on May 12, little has gone according to script.
The Gators have lost six of seven games entering the NCAA Tournament, which they will open next weekend by hosting the Gainesville Regional (teams and schedule will be announced at noon ET on Monday on ESPNU).
While we wait for regional bracket to be released, a glance at the numbers reveal what has gone wrong for the Gators.
First, UF is hitting .206 (45-for-218) in the last seven games, the only win a victory over LSU in the SEC Tournament. Meanwhile, opponents have outscored the Gators 57-20 and hit nine home runs.
Next, the Gators' pitching staff – minus No. 1 starter Brady Singer – has found outs tougher to come by. Florida has a 6.79 ERA (57 IP, 43 ER) over the past seven games, and that includes nine unearned runs in Saturday's 11-0 loss to LSU. The Gators' WHIP is 1.58 over that stretch with 65 hits and 25 walks allowed.
Finally, the defense has been uncharacteristically unsteady. After making only 36 errors over the first 52 games, the Gators have committed 10 miscues in the past seven.
Add the numbers up, and it's easy to see why the Gators have slumped over the past two weeks.
Gators head coach Kevin O'Sullivan cautioned his team to stay mentally sharp after clinching the SEC title. Sometimes human nature wins out.
As the Gators headed back home Saturday, O'Sullivan showed no signs of panic. Concern? Yes. The Gators have some work to do.
"There's not much to say at this point,'' O'Sullivan said. "The players are disappointed. Ultimately everything falls on my shoulders. It's my responsibility to get these guys in a good place this week. We'll get together as a staff on the way home and when we get back to Gainesville and put some thoughts together to get these guys going and put them in the best position possible to be successful next weekend."
HEALING HELP
It's not all gloom and doom for the Gators.
Singer (hamstring) threw a bullpen session Saturday and is expected to return to the rotation in the regional. Singer was scratched from his start May 17 at Mississippi State and did not pitch in the SEC Tournament.
Meanwhile, sophomore right-hander Tyler Dyson (shoulder) threw in the bullpen Saturday and O'Sullivan voiced optimism that he is ready to go. Dyson has not pitched since a May 8 start against USF in which he allowed four runs, two hits and walked three in 1/3 of an inning. He received a cortisone shot earlier this month as part of his treatment.
"That's certainly a bright spot for us and we look forward to getting those guys back out there next weekend,'' O' Sullivan said.
As for senior catcher JJ Schwarz, who suffered a small fracture on his right hand after getting hit by a pitch at Mississippi State, O'Sullivan said Schwarz remains day to day. Schwarz is batting .325 with 12 homers and 46 RBIs.
"We'll see what happens with JJ,'' O'Sullivan said. "I know he's feeling better. If we can get healthy this week and get those guys back, obviously we'll get back to where we were before the Mississippi State series."
BIG AL, GAME 7
For the first time since 1979, both NBA conference finals are going to a seventh game.
Florida fans are paying attention to the Boston-Cleveland series that ends Sunday when the Celtics host the Cavaliers. Former UF standout Al Horford, in his second season in Boston and 11th in the league, has never been closer to his first trip to the NBA Finals.
All that stands in the way are the Cavs and that guy LeBron. Horford has a long history against the Cavs in the playoffs.
Boston is 10-0 at home this season in the playoffs, and while LeBron James has been sensational, playing at home should make a huge difference for the Celtics.
So would a big game from Horford, one of the Gators' all-time greats.
Asked Al Horford, who's trying to get to his first NBA Finals tonight, about what he expects the atmosphere at the Garden to be tonight.
— Ian Steele (@IanSteeleABC6) May 27, 2018
"Electric."#Celtics are 10-0 at home in the playoffs.@ABC6 pic.twitter.com/62hf48dxQk
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