In softball, a team that averages two home runs per game is considered an elite power team.
So then what can be said about a team that hits four in an inning?
“It really doesn’t surprise me,” UF coach Tim Walton said. “We’ve really got some quality hitters, and the third time through the lineup seems to be the charm.”
Sixth-inning home runs by Aja Paculba, Michelle Moultrie, Brittany Schutte, and Corrie Brooks broke a 1-1 tie and propelled No. 4 Florida (30-4, 12-2 Southeastern Conference) to a 6-1 win and a series sweep over Arkansas (24-16, 8-6 SEC) Sunday in Fayetteville.
With the victory Florida runs its winning streak to nine games, and extends its lead in the SEC East standings to a game and two in the loss column over both Tennessee and Alabama.
For the second time in the series the Gators were facing Arkansas ace Hope McLemore, who breezed through the first three innings of Game 1 before the UF hitters adjusted and tagged her for five runs on five hits in the fourth.
Thus, it was no surprise when Florida struck in the top of the first, as Paculba reached on an error and then scored on a single by Schutte.
But McLemore settled down, retiring the Gators in order in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings.
“She had a different gameplan today,” Walton said. “The ball was breaking a little differently and she was throwing a couple good pitches and we just weren’t able to capitalize.”
Arkansas tied the score in the bottom of the fifth when Tori Mort’s popup got lost between Brooks and shortstop Brittany Walker, falling for a leadoff double that set up Sandra Smith’s RBI single.
But UF followed with its four-home-run inning, and the tie quickly became a blowout.
“We had some really good at-bats and were ready to go in the sixth,” Walton said.
“I don’t think it was fatigue, but (McLemore) definitely missed her location on a couple of pitches.”
Freshman Ensley Gammel came in to shut the door, throwing 2.2 innings of one-hit softball in relief of ace Stephanie Brombacher, who gave up just one run over the first 4.1 innings.
