After having a gem of a performance in Game 1, it seemed like a given that junior ace Stephanie Brombacher would be able to shut the door in the nightcap.
But Tennessee had other plans.
The No. 19 Lady Volunteers (39-9, 15-5 Southeastern Conference) were able to score a pair in the bottom of the seventh of Game 2, thus earning themselves a 4-3 win and a doubleheader split with the No. 4 Gators (35-7, 15-4 SEC) Friday in Knoxville.
Brombacher led UF to a 6-0 win in the series opener, allowing only six base runners in her complete-game shutout.
But when she entered to protect a one-run lead in the seventh inning of the nightcap it was a completely different story.
The junior gave up an infield single to lead off the inning and then walked the second batter to put runners on first and second.
From there, Brombacher induced a grounder to shortstop Megan Bush, but Florida’s recent defensive struggles continued as Bush booted the ball to load the bases.
One at-bat later, a sacrifice fly tied the game at three.
After Brombacher struck out Lauren Gibson to bring Florida within one out of extra-innings, UF’s ace gave up a pair of walks, the second coming in an epic nine-pitch at-bat, and Tennessee had a 4-3 win.
The final inning meltdown spoiled the heroic effort of senior Corrie Brooks, who in the top of the seventh capped a 3-or-4 game with a two-run bloop single to left that gave the Gators a 3-2 lead.
In Game 1, Florida scored multiple runs in the first for the fifth-consecutive contest, this time scoring four on a groundout by Bush and a three-run home run by junior Kelsey Bruder.
The Gators added two more in the fifth thanks to sophomore Michelle Moultrie, who hit an RBI single to center and moved to second on the throw home before stealing third two batters later and scoring on a Tennessee error.
Moultrie went 4 for 8 on the day, and is now 14 for her last 23.
Those six runs would be plenty of support for Brombacher, who did not let a base runner advance past second in the game.
Despite taking the loss in Game 2, the junior has now thrown 14.2 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run.
