OKLAHOMA CITY — For two innings, it looked all too familiar for the Florida Gators softball team.
A dominant pitching team jumped out to a 2-0 lead while the Gators bats failed to capitalize on an early bases-loaded situation.
But unlike the heartbreaking loss to Arizona State less than 24 hours before, this scenario would end in a 5-2 triumph for Florida (54-11) over a now eliminated No. 7-seed California (45-13) at the Women's College World Series.
After a tough Friday night for Stephanie Brombacher, freshman Hannah Rogers got the start in the circle and immediately struggled.
"They came out and really put pressure on us early," UF coach Tim Walton said. "Bounced the ball real well and really got after it."
The Golden Bears sent eight runners to the plate in the top of the first, scoring their only two runs of the game and capitalizing on a Cheyenne Coyle error.
In the first two innings, Florida's offense was stagnant against All-American Jolene Henderson, who Walton said had a "filthy" changeup. The Gators loaded the bases in the first only to see their freshman shortstop ground out to her Cal counterpart.
Florida went down in order in the second — highlighted by one of Kasey Fagan's six strikeouts this WCWS.
But that's where it all ended for the Golden Bears.
"We looked bad a couple times early," Walton said. "But give our kids credit. ... This team can swing the bat. ... They just have a fighting side of them."
Rogers forced three quick outs in the top of the third, helping ignite a much-needed offensive surge for the Gators.
Michelle Moultrie and Tiffany DeFelice — who swapped spots in the lineup with a formerly slumping Aja Paculba — each grounded out before Kelsey Bruder started the action with an infield single.
Four consecutive Gators then got on base, including RBI singles by Coyle and Paculba.
"Batting [seventh] kind of relaxed me a little bit more, took some pressure off of me," Paculba said. "Hopefully I'll stay there for a little bit since I've been hitting."
From there, the tandem of Rogers and Brombacher took over — except in an unusual fashion.
For the first time since April 20 against UCF, the senior relieved the freshman, pitching three innings of one-hit ball to close out the Golden Bears.
"I just went in there and made my pitches," Brombacher said. "The strike zone was a little tight, but they were swinging the bat. They were aggressive, so that kind of helped me out a little bit."
With the win, Florida advances to a WCWS semifinal against Southeastern Conference rival Alabama starting Sunday at 1 p.m.
"'Bama has always been an amazing game," Bruder said. "It always ends in dramatic fasion."
The Gators will have to beat the Crimson Tide twice to reach the best-of-three national final.
