With two outs remaining in the bottom of the seventh Sunday against UAB, freshman Kelsey Stewart made one of Florida’s biggest defensive plays of the year.
Alabama-Birmingham had pinch runner Hailey Glynn at second with Lauren Webster stepping to the plate. Florida right-hander Hannah Rogers gave up a single up the middle to Webster on the first pitch of the at-bat, advancing Glynn to third. But Glynn – taking a risk – sprinted for home.
“Every day in practice we go through game-winners, and Katie (Medina) and I went up to each other and said, ‘Game-winners,’” Stewart said.
“Coach (Tim Walton) always hits balls at us like that in practice.”
Stewart dove to her right, fielded the ball and heaved it from her knees. Her bare-handed toss reached Aubree Munro’s glove as the freshman catcher tagged out Glynn for the win.
“I thought it was going to go up the middle and then I actually thought [Stewart] over-dove a little,” Walton said. “She got a great jump off the bat and knocked it down. I was just hoping she wouldn’t throw the ball to first base because there was no chance of getting her at first.”
“But it’s a closer play than it looks like because if she hesitates or does the wrong thing, then they have a run. I’m really proud of her for being heads-up and come looking for that out.”
After Stewart’s play sealed No. 2 seed UF (57-7) a 1-0 Super Regional victory against Alabama-Birmingham and a trip to its fifth Women’s College World Series in program history, the Gators formed a dogpile on top of Rogers on the mound.
Stewart is one of Florida’s key underclassmen who have fueled the team to prominence in what was billed a rebuilding year during the preseason.
Florida’s four freshmen in the starting lineup – Stewart, Kirsti Merritt, Taylor Schwarz and Taylore Fuller – have combined for 28 hits in eight postseason contests.
Against the Blazers on Sunday, Schwarz was responsible for UF’s only run of the game as she tallied an RBI double in the fourth after fighting to a 3-2 count. Fuller knocked two of her four home runs on the season during NCAA Regional play. During the Southeastern Conference Tournament, Merritt racked up five hits and seven RBI.
But Walton’s young Florida squad will be tested today at 2:30 when it faces seventh-seeded Tennessee (49-10) in the first game of the WCWS in Oklahoma City. Thirteen of No. 2 seed Florida’s 16 players have never been to the WCWS.
The Gators won two games against the Volunteers in March, as UF’s four starting freshmen hit .324 during the series. All three games in the series went to extra innings.
“We’re going to ... just really prepare ourselves like we’ve been preparing for any other team,” Schwarz said. “We’ve been playing so well. ... Once we go to the World Series, we’re going to take what we’ve been doing all season and just let it out.”
Contact Landon Watnick at lwatnick@alligator.org.
Freshman infielder Kelsey Stewart (7) throws a ball to freshman first baseman Taylor Schwarz (49) to end an inning during Florida’s 9-1 win over UNC Wilmington on Feb. 17 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. Stewart is one of Florida's key underclassmen who have fueled the team's success this season.
