After the most successful season in the team's 12-year history, the Gators softball team took the field Sunday for the first time since falling to Texas A&M in the Women's College World Series national semifinals.
UF began its fall preseason games with a doubleheader against the Tallahassee Community College Eagles at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium, cruising to an 11-0 victory in Game 1 and narrowly escaping defeat with a 2-1 win in Game 2.
"We were definitely getting our feet wet with the new team," senior pitcher Stacey Nelson said. "We weren't where we needed to be, but there were a lot of good things that shined through."
The closest the Eagles came in Game 1 was in the third inning, when they strung together three quick singles and loaded the bases against Nelson. The reigning Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Year struck out the next two batters to end the inning and preserve the shutout.
That's how everyone expected the Gators, a preseason contender for the national title, to take care of the Eagles.
What was unexpected, however, was how close the Gators came to losing Game 2.
In the top of the seventh inning of the then-scoreless game, TCC's Andrea Salazar drove home a run to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.
The experienced Gators prevailed in the bottom of the inning, however, when catcher Kristina Hilberth tied the game with a one-out single that drove in pinch runner Ami Austin. Centerfielder Kim Waleszonia then stepped up to the plate and hit a game-winning single that allowed shortstop Le-Net Franklin to score.
Coach Tim Walton said the team made some mistakes in the second game, but he was glad to see how the players handled such a close contest.
"I can't practice that situation," Walton said. "Playing in a tight game, it's important to know how we can respond. The bottom of the lineup came up really big for us."
Sophomore Kelsey Bruder, who pitched seven innings between the two games and spent the remainder of the day in right field, said the team's mistakes in the second game were mostly mental.
"Our focus could've been a little better," she said. "We were swinging at pitches maybe we shouldn't have. We had far too many strikeouts. If we can have quality at-bats, regardless of the result, we'll be in better position."
Walton said Bruder will get back to her role as the team's No. 3 pitcher once pitcher Stephanie Brombacher returns. He did not give a specific reason for Brombacher's absence from Sunday's games, simply saying she needed to "get some things fixed."
"Hopefully I don't have to use (Bruder) that much," Walton said. "I'd like to keep her fresh offensively. It's going to be important for us to learn how to minimize what she can do so we can maximize the results we get from her."
Walton said his players all have to improve in order to meet the extremely high expectations they face heading into the regular season.
"The expectations are as high as they can ever be," Walton said. "Each one of these kids will tell you that if we don't win a national championship this year, we're going to be disappointed. I don't really play it that way. We have a lot of improvements to be made. I'm one at-bat at a time as a coach."
The Gators will play three more doubleheaders in the fall before beginning the season in February.
