For the second weekend in a row, the Gators went winless.
After getting blown out 10-2 on Friday, No. 5 Florida (30-7, 7-6 Southeastern Conference) nearly notched a come-from-behind win Saturday before losing 7-6 to No. 23 Kentucky (25-7, 11-3 SEC).
But Sunday’s loss wasn’t even close.
The Gators narrowly avoided the run-rule but eventually suffered another sweep as the Wildcats closed out the series with a decisive 9-2 win.
“To watch us play today was pretty hard to swallow,” UF coach Tim Walton said.
With the way Florida has been pitching, it never had a chance.
Hannah Rogers was the only Gator to take the mound this weekend, but her performances were less than impressive.
The freshman turned in her fourth consecutive poor outing since starting the season 16-1. Her struggles couldn’t have come at a worse time, as senior ace Stephanie Brombacher remained sidelined with a bicep injury.
“She just wasn’t very good,” Walton said. “She gave up way too many hits. ... She wasn’t sharp.”
The young righty’s woes continued Sunday, when the Wildcats pounded her for eight runs in the first inning.
Leadoff hitter Meagan Aull, who went 5 for 10 with eight RBIs on the weekend, proved to be Rogers’ toughest nemesis.
The outfielder started off Sunday with a solo shot to left before adding a two-run homer later in the inning.
While Rogers was able to settle down for the rest of the game, the damage was already done.
“Hannah’s been having to throw every single game, and that’s been hard on her mentally and physically,” left fielder Kelsey Bruder said.
Walton said Kentucky’s lineup matched Rogers stride for stride, fouling off good pitches and turning bloops into hits.
More concerning for UF than the pitching performance was its inability to put together quality at-bats.
The Gators’ typically potent lineup seemed timid and provided little firepower, mustering only two runs on five hits and striking out 10 times.
“I didn’t think we were aggressive at the plate,” Walton said. “I’ve tried getting different players in, but it doesn’t get any better when you look at the box score.”
While center fielder Michelle Moultrie and second baseman Aja Paculba combined to go 7 for 21, the rest of the lineup barely made a mark on the stat sheet.
Power hitters Bruder, Megan Bush and Brittany Schutte accounted for only three RBIs and struck out 11 times, while the bottom of the order was nearly nonexistent.
After a string of impressive performances against Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Georgia, Bruder described her weekend as just “average.”
“For some girls, going 1 for 3 is a good weekend,” she said. “But I expect much better of myself. We have to be more aggressive, especially earlier in the count, and shorten up with two strikes.”
With the team stuck in a six-game slump, everything from the team’s pregame meals to weight lifting sessions will be re-evaluated.
“We’re going to shake up the process with everything we do,” Walton said. “We’ll turn the table over and pick everything back up and go from there. We’re not going down without a fight.”
