Senior Natalie Lugo improved to 13-1 on the season, including 7-1 in SEC play, where she leads the league with a 1.02 ERA in conference play.
Lugo Looking Good ... Really Good
Sunday, April 25, 2021 | Softball, Chris Harry
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — On Sunday morning, Florida senior Natalie Lugo woke up leading the Southeastern Conference in earned-run average after pitching a four-hit shutout against South Carolina the night before. A few hours later, UF coach Tim Walton took measure of Lugo's performance and basically said, "Let's run it back."
Lugo responded with another stellar outing, scattering five hits and fanning four over 5 2/3 innings on the way to a 4-1 victory that helped the third-ranked Gators capture their sixth SEC series in as many tries. Lugo, who popped on the post-game Zoom with a 7-1 SEC record, took a couple questions before being asked about her league-best 1.02 ERA in conference play.
"I didn't know that," she said. "I try not to look too much at the stats."
Whoops.
A couple years ago — maybe even last year — Lugo may have processed that information differently. When Walton recruited her out of West Covina, Calif., she was a hotshot prospect with a wicked riseball on one of the best club teams in the country. Lugo was also an outstanding student who, as such, had a tendency to overthink her game.
With the help of Walton, pitching coach Mike Bosch, catcher Julia Cottrill and a tight bullpen group, Lugo has traded in her over-analysis for shot of overconfidence; a good kind, that is. Oh, and that go-to change-up she developed along the way has really helped.
"Nat is a whole lot grittier than she used to be," junior third baseman Charla Echols said. "Not a whole lot phases her anymore. She knows she has good stuff and knows we play good defense behind her."
On Friday, the Gators dropped the series opener against the Gamecocks 2-1, marking their first loss in 30 games this season when they gave up two runs or fewer. The offense bounced back Saturday night with eight hits and a 6-0 win that paired with Lugo's complete-game gem that included five strikeouts and just one walk. That one ended at 8:06 p.m.
Seventeen hours later, Lugo was in the circle again, with her teammates giving her a two-run lead in the first, and 3-0 cushion in the second. She allowed a solo home run to Jordan Fabian in the top of the fourth, a run the Gators canceled out with one in their half of the inning, and eventually gave the ball to fifth-year senior Katie Chronister to close out with two down in the sixth.
Lugo's two-day total: 12 2/3 innings, one run, nine hits, nine Ks, two walks.
For the season, Lugo is now 13-1 overall with a 1.30 ERA. During the COVID-canceled 2020 campaign, she went 7-2 and 1.64. As both a freshman and sophomore, her ERA was over 2.00 in limited appearances, though there were forces working against her getting a bunch of opportunities. Well, one force, actually.
Kelly Barnhill.
"When there were signs of trouble, the National Pitcher of the Year was coming in," Walton said.
Lugo, though, stayed the course. She kept working, oftentimes coming in on her off days to throw on her own. There was never talk about taking her glove and going elsewhere. The conversations were always about getting better.
Now a senior, she's not just a prominent cog on the top pitching staff in the SEC (Florida leads the league in ERA and ranks in the top three in 11 of major pitching categories), but soaking it all in and revealing in the moments. Saturday was UF's Senior Day and Lugo opted not to take part. Instead, she's opted to return (along with standout second baseman Hannah Adams, by the way) in 2022 to take advantage of that NCAA-offered COVID-freebie fifth season.
"I just didn't want to have my four years be cut to three and a half," Lugo said. "I love this team and program so much. I want one more season."
Considering she's gotten better and better with each one, imagine where she might be this time next year. On second thought, imagine the possibilities for the rest of this year.
But, shhhhhh. No talking about stats.
Lugo responded with another stellar outing, scattering five hits and fanning four over 5 2/3 innings on the way to a 4-1 victory that helped the third-ranked Gators capture their sixth SEC series in as many tries. Lugo, who popped on the post-game Zoom with a 7-1 SEC record, took a couple questions before being asked about her league-best 1.02 ERA in conference play.
"I didn't know that," she said. "I try not to look too much at the stats."
Whoops.
A couple years ago — maybe even last year — Lugo may have processed that information differently. When Walton recruited her out of West Covina, Calif., she was a hotshot prospect with a wicked riseball on one of the best club teams in the country. Lugo was also an outstanding student who, as such, had a tendency to overthink her game.
With the help of Walton, pitching coach Mike Bosch, catcher Julia Cottrill and a tight bullpen group, Lugo has traded in her over-analysis for shot of overconfidence; a good kind, that is. Oh, and that go-to change-up she developed along the way has really helped.
"Nat is a whole lot grittier than she used to be," junior third baseman Charla Echols said. "Not a whole lot phases her anymore. She knows she has good stuff and knows we play good defense behind her."
6️⃣ for 6️⃣ in @SEC series 🐊#GoGators pic.twitter.com/n45fpP0QcQ
— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) April 25, 2021
On Friday, the Gators dropped the series opener against the Gamecocks 2-1, marking their first loss in 30 games this season when they gave up two runs or fewer. The offense bounced back Saturday night with eight hits and a 6-0 win that paired with Lugo's complete-game gem that included five strikeouts and just one walk. That one ended at 8:06 p.m.
Seventeen hours later, Lugo was in the circle again, with her teammates giving her a two-run lead in the first, and 3-0 cushion in the second. She allowed a solo home run to Jordan Fabian in the top of the fourth, a run the Gators canceled out with one in their half of the inning, and eventually gave the ball to fifth-year senior Katie Chronister to close out with two down in the sixth.
Lugo's two-day total: 12 2/3 innings, one run, nine hits, nine Ks, two walks.
For the season, Lugo is now 13-1 overall with a 1.30 ERA. During the COVID-canceled 2020 campaign, she went 7-2 and 1.64. As both a freshman and sophomore, her ERA was over 2.00 in limited appearances, though there were forces working against her getting a bunch of opportunities. Well, one force, actually.
Kelly Barnhill.
"When there were signs of trouble, the National Pitcher of the Year was coming in," Walton said.
Lugo, though, stayed the course. She kept working, oftentimes coming in on her off days to throw on her own. There was never talk about taking her glove and going elsewhere. The conversations were always about getting better.
Now a senior, she's not just a prominent cog on the top pitching staff in the SEC (Florida leads the league in ERA and ranks in the top three in 11 of major pitching categories), but soaking it all in and revealing in the moments. Saturday was UF's Senior Day and Lugo opted not to take part. Instead, she's opted to return (along with standout second baseman Hannah Adams, by the way) in 2022 to take advantage of that NCAA-offered COVID-freebie fifth season.
"I just didn't want to have my four years be cut to three and a half," Lugo said. "I love this team and program so much. I want one more season."
Considering she's gotten better and better with each one, imagine where she might be this time next year. On second thought, imagine the possibilities for the rest of this year.
But, shhhhhh. No talking about stats.
Players Mentioned
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