On a frigid night, the Gators were lining frozen ropes left and right at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
Florida improved to 12-0 after run ruling Liberty University 11-0 in five innings Friday night.
The Gators got on the board early with two outs in the bottom of the first inning. After back-to-back walks to Kelsey Stewart and Kirsti Merritt to lead off the game, Liberty starting pitcher Abby Tincher committed an illegal pitch that scored Stewart from third to give UF a 1-0 lead.
In the bottom of the third inning, the Gators scored seven runs all with two outs. Junior Taylore Fuller launched her third home run of the season, a grand slam that gave UF a five run lead. The Trenton, Florida, native finished the game 2-3 with two runs scored and a game-high four RBIs.
“My first at-bat I was trying to pull the ball a little too much and I just tried to drive it through the middle and it just happened to work out for me,” Fuller said.
Following Fuller’s blast in the third inning, freshmen Nicole DeWitt singled up the middle and Kayli Kvistad ripped a two-run home run over the right field fence, her second of the season. The Lake City, Florida, native finished the game 1-3 with three RBIs.
Three batters after Kvistad’s dinger, Stewart singled home Taylor Schwarz from second base to give UF an 8-0 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Lauren Haeger joined the home run parade with a solo blast to dead center field that just cleared the wall, her third home run of the season. The senior finished 1-3 with two runs scored and one RBI.
“I thought we had some good swings,” coach Tim Walton said. “I’m happy with the production we were able to do especially with some runners in scoring position.”
The Gators tacked on two more runs in the fourth inning when Kvistad grounded into a fielder’s choice that scored sophomore Justine McLean, and Schwarz ripped an RBI single through the left side that scored Fuller.
In the circle, Haeger had the Flames on their toes all night long. The Peoria, Arizona, native struck out 10 and allowed one lone hit through five shutout innings as she improved to 6-0 on the season.
Haeger allowed that lone hit to the first batter of the game, Liberty’s Tori Zavodny, on a ground ball to Florida shortstop Kathlyn Medina that could’ve been ruled an error. Haeger retired every hitter after that.
“I should’ve made a better pitch, it could’ve gone either way,” Haeger said. “I’m not even worried about that. No one scored so we won so that’s all that really matters.”
The Gators will take on Illinois State and Kansas in a double-header Saturday at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
Follow Patrick Pinak on Twitter @pinakk12
Taylore Fuller bats during Florida's 8-0 win against Indiana on Feb. 22, 2014 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.