With the last fall preseason games over, the Gators softball team has played its last contests until February and the start of the spring season.
UF played a home doubleheader against Chipola College on Thursday, defeating the Indians 7-2 in Game 1 and 8-1 in Game 2, finishing the fall season with a perfect 8-0 record.
Now, the Gators will look to build on these performances to get themselves ready for the regular season.
"We've got to work harder," first baseman Ali Gardiner said. "We're not where we want to be - we're nowhere close. So we have about two and a half months, and we've got to get ready to go."
The strong pitching of Stephanie Brombacher led the Gators in Game 1. Brombacher struck out 16 of the 25 batters she faced while only walking one in her seven innings of work.
Freshman outfielder Michelle Moultrie sparked the UF offense in the first game as she went 2 for 4 and drove in three runs.
"As a whole, we did well," Gardiner said. "Michelle did fantastic, and she was the bright spot of today."
Stacey Nelson, who pitched a one-run complete game in the second part of the doubleheader, blew past Chipola with 15 strikeouts.
On offense, UF had a 2-0 lead in the second inning when Gardiner unloaded the bases with a line drive to left field. Corrie Brooks added to the Gators' lead with a high two-run homer to left-center, and Kristine Priebe wrapped things up by scoring on a Chipola throwing error on her triple to deep center field.
Now, the Gators will have to wait until Feb. 6 to get back on the field, when they will open the regular season against Baylor.
INJURY UPDATE: Tiffany DeFelice, who had off-season wrist surgery, saw substantial time at the plate and a little bit of time behind it at catcher in both games. DeFelice went 1 for 4 in the first game with one run and an RBI.
"She's coming along well from her postseason injury, so we're excited," UF coach Tim Walton said. "We're excited she even got to catch a couple innings. She's moved along a lot further than I thought she would."
Walton added that sophomore Shaunice Harris' rehab is on track, and she should be ready to play in the spring. Harris did not play last season after tearing her ACL early in the year.
CHIPOLA PLAYER INJURED: Game 2 was suspended for 30 minutes during the bottom of the first inning due to a severe injury to Indians first baseman Kami Fannin.
While in pursuit of a foul ball hit by shortstop Megan Bush, Fannin fell head-first over a railing and landed hard on her shoulder on the cement pavement below, immediately silencing the concerned crowd.
Two ambulances arrived at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium, and emergency medical technicians rushed to the scene. As Fannin left the field on a stretcher, she gave a thumbs-up to the crowd, drawing applause from fans of both teams.
The team did not receive any updates on Fannin, but she was moving as she made her way to the ambulance and was said to be experiencing severe back pains.
