Competing in a doubleheader with South Carolina on Saturday, Florida earned the series victory but lost its first contest to USC in 10 years.
A solo home run from freshman Kirsti Merritt propelled the No. 2 Gators (49-7, 18-6 Southeastern Conference) to a 3-2 victory against the Gamecocks in an eight-inning Game 1. But UF fell 2-1 to USC to close out its regular season, as South Carolina (31-22, 8-16 SEC) snapped a 28-game losing streak to Florida at Beckham Field in Columbia, S.C.
The third contest of the series was moved up to Saturday as rain is projected in Columbia all day Sunday.
South Carolina struck first in Game 1 as sophomore pitcher Lauren Haeger struggled early.
Haeger hit SC’s Alaynie Page with a pitch and then allowed two singles from Dana Hathorn and Kristen Struett to load the bases with one out in the first inning. Ashlyn Masters flied out to center field to score Page to score the first run of the game.
South Carolina’s Chelsea Hawkins followed with a single, driving Hathorn to put South Carolina ahead 2-0.
Florida did not notch a hit until the top of the fourth when Merritt doubled to left center. Junior Stephanie Tofft then doubled to left center to score Merritt and cut SC’s lead to one. Haeger singled up the middle to drive in Tofft, evening the score at 2.
In the bottom of the seventh, UF notched a 5-4-3 double play on a Masters groundout as the game went to extras.
With two outs in the top of the eighth, Merritt homered over the right-field fence to give the Gators the lead.
Junior pitcher Hannah Rogers, who pitched the final four innings of Game 1, struck out USC’s two of the last three batters in the bottom of the eighth to seal the series win for UF.
But Florida also struggled to score early in Game 2.
The Gators loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the third, but senior Kelsey Horton lined out to end the inning.
Florida jumped to a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Briana Little scored after a wild pitch from pitcher Katie Marks in the fourth. But in the bottom of the inning, Shelby Gonzales homered to left field, driving in Masters as South Carolina took a 2-1 lead.
With runners at second and third during the seventh, Florida loaded the bases when Haeger was intentionally walked, setting the stage for Horton. But the senior struck out to give the Gamecocks the win.
Pitchers Julie Sarratt Marks walked seven UF batters during Game 2, but the Gators could only collect three hits.
Florida’s SEC regular-season title hopes are out of its hands, and the Gators will find out their seeding for next week’s SEC Tournament after Sunday’s action.
Kelsey Horton connects with a pitch in Florida's 5-2 win against Auburn on April 15, 2012. Horton hit a home run in Florida's 10-4 win against Missouri in the SEC Tournament final on Saturday.
