No. 1 Florida and No. 3 Auburn boast two of the best pitching staffs in all of softball.
Neither was on display Sunday evening.
Thanks to a power surge that included home runs from freshman Amanda Lorenz, sophomore Nicole DeWitt and senior Taylore Fuller, the Gators (26-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) overcame freshman Kelly Barnhill’s short outing in her first SEC start to defeat the Tigers (22-3, 0-2 SEC) 8-5 in the second game of the series.
With the series-clinching win, Florida has now moved to within two victories of the program-record 28-0 start set by last year’s team.
"I think you just have to give credit to the hitters on both teams,’ UF coach Tim Walton said in a release. "When a pitcher made a mistake, each hitter made the other team pay."
From the onset, Barnhill appeared unnerved, lasting only three shaky innings and relinquishing four earned runs on four hits.
Auburn got on the scoreboard first, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a solo shot.
But the Gators responded promptly in the next frame when Fuller hit a line-drive double to left, scoring sophomore Janell Wheaton, who singled to open the inning. Florida then took the lead in the third thanks to a two-run home run by Lorenz — her second of the season.
However, the Tigers quickly bounced back, taking advantage of Barnhill’s lack of pitch control and scoring three runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 4-3 advantage.
Following a pair of four-pitch walks to Fuller and Kayli Kvistad in the top of the fourth inning, DeWitt crushed a three-run shot to right-center, propelling the Gators back on top, 6-4.
"To be honest, we went for exactly what happened" Walton said of Dewitt’s home run. "We needed it. Based off how their offense was hitting, in that situation, I felt like we couldn’t just try for the run. Nicole took a chance and obviously put a great swing on a good pitch."
Barnhill was lifted in the fourth for sophomore Aleshia Ocasio, who proved to be a calming force for the Gators as she earned her ninth win.
After Ocasio’s entrance into the game, the Tigers only mustered three hits and one run.
"I’m just really happy with the way Aleshia (Ocasio) has been able to give us the momentum back in these two games," Walton said. "It’s comforting to have someone come in and do a great job like she’s done."
The Gators only scored two runs for the rest of the game, but they were more than enough.
Fuller’s solo shot in the top of the seventh put the final nail in Auburn’s coffin.
The series will wrap up at 7 p.m.
Contact Brian Lee at blee@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @brianlee_17.
Nicole DeWitt bats during UF's 2-1 win against UNF on April 1, 2015, at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
