When UF coach Tim Walton dubbed Cheyenne Coyle as Florida’s most
natural power hitter, her seven home runs didn’t seem to back-up
his statement.
But on Saturday, the freshman shortstop’s potential was on full
display.
Coyle knocked three home runs as No. 10 Florida (36-7, 12-6
Southeastern Conference) swept Saturday’s doubleheader against No.
24 Auburn (32-11, 11-8 SEC) in Alabama.
Backed by five homers, including two by Coyle, the Gators rolled
14-4 in the first game.
The freshman led off the third inning with a deep shot to center
field to get UF on the board.
But with freshman Hannah Rogers not having her best day, UF needed
all the offensive firepower it could muster.
After Rogers allowed three runs in the third, the Gators bounced
back with a three-run inning of their own in the fourth.
With two outs, Megan Bush and Tiffany DeFelice walked, setting up a
run-scoring opportunity for Coyle.
She didn’t disappoint, crushing a three-run shot to tie the
score.
Rogers settled down the rest of the game, throwing four scoreless
innings. Her final line was three earned runs on seven hits and
five walks in seven innings.
The lineup pounded 10 runs over the final three innings on homers
by Bush, DeFelice and Kelsey Bruder.
Brombacher strong in return:
After missing over a month with a bicep injury, Stephanie
Brombacher started and earned the win in UF’s 8-2 victory in the
second game of Saturday’s doubleheader.
The senior ace struggled out of the gate, allowing an earned run on
two hits and a walk in the first inning before settling down over
the next three-plus innings.
Brombacher allowed two runs (one earned) and struck out four
batters in 4.2 innings, as Rogers tossed the final 2.1 innings in
relief.
The Gators strung together 13 hits and the offense scored at least
eight runs in its fifth-straight game.
Eight players had at least one hit, highlighted by Coyle’s two-run
homer in the seventh inning.
Bruder also knocked a home run, and sophomore Brittany Schutte
snapped a three-game hitless streak, going 3 for 3 with a run
scored.
