On March 2, Hannah Rogers had a no-hitter taken away from her when a seventh-inning error was changed to a hit after the game. On Friday, Rogers did not need to pitch a seventh inning to secure her no-hit bid.
The junior right-hander held Mississippi State (23-13, 2-8 Southeastern Conference) hitless for six innings as No. 3 Florida (37-3, 11-2 SEC) run-ruled the Bulldogs 9-1 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in the first game of a three-game series.
“You never know, it could’ve been taken away from me in one of those innings,” Rogers said.
Rogers dominated the Bulldogs Friday night, striking out seven in her six innings of hitless work. However, she walked four, and Mississippi State scored a run in the fifth inning when MSU executed a double steal.
Kelsey Stewart threw home, trying to nab the lead runner at home, and catcher Taylore Fuller interfered with the runner, registering a run.
But the Gators’ offense made up the difference.
After being held hitless for three innings, Florida scored seven runs with two outs in the fourth.
Freshman Taylor Schwarz got the Gators in the hit column, and freshman Kirsti Merritt followed with a single. Senior Kelsey Horton brought them both home with a home run to left-center field.
Florida wasn’t done hitting long balls in the inning.
Fuller, second baseman Jessica Damico and Stewart walked to load the bases, and third baseman Stephanie Tofft rocketed a line drive over the center-field wall for her first career grand slam.
“It was 3-2, bases loaded, I knew she didn’t really want to walk somebody in,” Tofft said. “So if it was going to be a strike, I knew it was going to be a good strike, so I was ready to hit.”
Florida tacked on another run in the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly from Stewart that scored Horton.
In the sixth, the Gators loaded the bases on two more walks and a hit by pitch. Horton came up with a chance to run-rule the Bulldogs. She worked a 3-1 count before drawing a game-winning walk.
“Our discipline helped tonight,” coach Tim Walton said. “We had 11 walks again tonight … Overall, our approach was really solid.”
Florida plays the second game of its series against Mississippi State on Saturday at 3 p.m.
Contact Adam Lichtenstein at alichtenstein@alligator.org.
Junior Hannah Rogers pitches during Florida’s 7-3 win against FSU on March 27 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. Rogers struck out 11 in her complete-game victory against Longwood on Saturday.
