This time, history did not repeat itself.
Less than 24 hours after a dramatic ninth-inning win over No. 11 Texas, the No. 4 Florida softball team (13-0) avenged last year’s Women’s College World Series loss to No. 2 UCLA (10-2) with a comeback victory.
Led by another strong performance from freshman Hannah Rogers, the Gators defeated the Bruins 4-1 with a heavy dose of strong pitching and defense.
Friday night’s matchup featured two of the top freshmen pitchers in the country as Rogers squared off against Jessica Hall, California’s 2010 Gatorade National Player of the Year.
However, it was Rogers who had the upper hand on the night.
The Gators’ No. 2 pitcher allowed only one run on five hits in seven innings of work, tallying an impressive 10 strikeouts.
After surrendering a solo home run to Alyssa Tiumalu in the second inning, Rogers gave up only three singles the rest of the way.
It was a clutch performance for the young righty, as Hall shut down Florida’s lineup for most of the game.
Down 1-0 heading into the sixth, UF finally broke through when freshmen Cheyenne Coyle singled and Kasey Fagan reached on an error.
Unfortunately for the Bruins, the hot-hitting Michelle Moultrie stepped to the plate.
After hitting the game-winning single Thursday night against the Longhorns, Moultrie produced another clutch hit, knocking a two-run double to give the Gators the lead.
Second baseman Aja Paculba drove in Moultrie with a double of her own, and she later scored on left fielder Kelsey Bruder’s single.
The Gators also scratched out a close win earlier Friday, defeating San Diego State 4-2.
Ace Stephanie Brombacher picked up her seventh win of the year after allowing two runs in 5.1 innings of work.
UF had some struggles at the plate as the No. 4-9 hitters went hitless, but Moultrie, Paculba and Bruder combined for eight hits and three RBIs.
Rogers also played a key role, pitching 1.2 innings of scoreless relief to close out the victory.
