After three quiet innings from the Gators offensively, Lauren Haeger woke up Florida with a blast in the bottom of the fourth.
Haeger sent a pitch from Georgia right-hander Geri Ann Glasco past the left-field fence for a three-run homer to give UF a lead it would keep throughout the remainder of the contest.
The sophomore also notched nine strikeouts and fanned three UGA batters in the top of the seventh as the No. 2 Gators (46-6, 15-5 Southeastern Conference) evened the series with the Bulldogs (35-17, 12-8 SEC) with a 5-2 victory Saturday afternoon at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
“Especially on a 3-2 pitch, I know they didn’t want to walk me to make bases loaded,” Haeger said. “So I was like, ‘She’s coming. She’s coming at me.’ I pretty much could guess that it would be inside, because she had been throwing inside the whole game. I just really wanted to get my foot down and be on time.”
Entering the game with a 2.29 ERA, Haeger allowed only five hits and walked only one batter but struggled on the mound during the second inning.
Haeger let UGA’s Kaylee Puailoa single to left field and hit Anna Swafford, opening the door for Tess Sito to drive both batters in with a double down the left-field line to lift Georgia to an early 2-0 lead.
Only two Gators reached base during the first three innings, but UF’s offense caught fire in the fourth.
After freshman Kirsti Merritt walked, junior Stephanie Tofft singled and advanced to second on the throw as Merritt reached third. Then, Haeger homered to give UF a 3-2 advantage.
“I’m really just trying to base hits up the middle,” Haeger said. “That’s really been my go-to phrase. Usually, when I think that, good things happen. … It paid off in the right situation.”
After sophomore Bailey Castro reached on a fielder’s choice to third base, senior Ensley Gammel doubled to left field to score Castro, give the Gators a two-run lead as the ball sailed over Georgia left fielder Niaja Griffin’s glove.
“Once you get the bats start going, it’s contagious,” Gammel said. “It kind of just trickles down a little bit.”
Freshman Kelsey Stewart singled and Merritt sacrifice bunted advance Stewart to second to begin the bottom of the fifth. Tofft then singled down the middle to score Stewart and put the Gators ahead 5-2.
Georgia had runners reach first and second base at the top of the seventh with one out when Puailoa singled to left field and Sito doubled down right-center field.
But Haeger responded by fanning Georgia’s Katie Browne and Christine Olney to seal UF’s win.
“I really wanted to get her,” Haeger said. “I made two really good rise balls at that at-bat, and she wasn’t biting. So I was like, ‘You know, there’s a base open, let’s get her.’ And I just executed my pitch.”
Florida will play the rubber match of its three-game series against Georgia on Sunday at noon.
Sophomore Lauren Haeger swings during Florida’s 4-2 win against Mississippi State on April 6 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. Haeger hit a three-run homer in Florida's 5-2 win against Georgia on Saturday.
