Tampa, FL- The Florida Gators softball team played in the USF Wilson-DeMarini Softball Classic over the weekend to open their 2017 slate. Florida won all five games played including a 2-1 extra inning affair over #8 Michigan on Saturday. Dynamic pitching and an offensive explosion helped the team go undefeated over the weekend.
FRIDAY: Gourley and Gators blank Illinois State in four innings
| RUNS | HITS | ERRORS | |
| ILLINOIS STATE | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FLORIDA | 9 | 8 | 0 |
Senior pitcher Delanie Gourley picked up right where she left off last year for the Gators. Gourley allowed only one hit and struck out twelve hitters in just five innings against the Redbirds.
The Gators scored three runs in the first inning as Kayli Kvistad doubled in two runs and scored on the ensuing double by Janelle Wheaton. Florida would add on five more runs in the third inning including a first pitch home run by Wheaton. Florida would tack on one more run in the fourth inning before the game was called for the mercy-rule.
WP: Gourley (1-0)
LP: Ali Domkuski (0-1)
LEADERS:
- Wheaton (UF) 2-3, HR, 3RBI, R
- Herndon (UF) 2-3, RBI, R
- Kvistad (UF) 1-1, 2BB, 2RBI, 2R
- Gourley (UF) 5IP, 12K, H
SATURDAY: Florida defeats St. John’s 5-2
| RUNS | HITS | ERRORS | |
| ST. JOHN’S | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| FLORIDA | 5 | 6 | 1 |
The Gators defeated St. John’s in the Red Storm’s first game of 2017 by a 5-2 score. Amanda Lorenz homered to deep left in the bottom of the first inning to give Florida a 2-0 lead. The Red Storm battled back and scored when Gretchen Bowie two runs home in the fifth inning. Both runs were unearned because a Jaimie Hoover error prevented the Gators from getting out of the inning prior to the base hit by Bowie.
Aleshia Ocasio hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning to break the tie. Ocasio started the game on the mound for the Gators, pitching all 7 innings, allowing only two hits, and the two unearned runs. Ocasio struck out seven hitters while walking just one St. John’s hitter.
WP: Ocasio (1-0)
LP: Grace Kramer (0-1)
LEADERS:
- Ocasio (UF) 7IP, 3H, 7K, 1-3, HR, 3RBI
- Lorenz (UF) 2-4, HR, 2RBI
- McLean (UF) 3-4, R
SATURDAY: Gators pitching dominates in ten-inning marathon against #8 Michigan
| RUNS | HITS | ERRORS | |
| FLORIDA | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| MICHIGAN | 1 | 4 | 0 |
Florida used the combined pitching effort of sophomore Kelly Barnhill and senior Delanie Gourley to keep #8 Michigan’s offense guessing as the Gators improved to 3-0 with a 2-1 extra-inning victory. Barnhill pitched the first 7 innings before giving way to Gourley. Barnhill only allowed four hits and one earned run to the Wolverines. Barnhill also struck out seven batters and only walked one. Gourley pitched three innings in relief without allowing a single hit. She did walk two batters, but also struck out four.
Florida took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when Nicole Dewitt singled Aleshia Ocasio home. The Wolverines tied the game up in the bottom half of the inning when Aidan Falk singled, scoring Natalie Peters.
Florida scored the game-winning run when designated player Jordan Roberts singled to center field. Dewitt scored on the play before Kvistad was thrown out at home plate.
WP: Gourley (2-0)
LP: Megan Betsa (1-1)
LEADERS:
- Betsa (UM) 10IP, 6H, 2R, 1ER, 12K, 6BB
- Barnhill (UF) 7IP, 4H, 1ER, 7K, 1BB
- Gourley (UF) 3IP, 0H, 0R, 4K, 2BB
- Dewitt (UF) 2-5, R, RBI
SUNDAY: Freshman Chronister shuts out Delaware in first career start
| RUNS | HITS | ERRORS | |
| DELAWARE | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| FLORIDA | 9 | 10 | 0 |
Katie Chronister was given the ball in the circle for the first time in her Gators career on Sunday morning against Delaware. Florida hitters made sure to supply plenty of runs in a 9-0 victory, but the freshman from Gainesville didn’t need them. Chronister threw only fifty-five pitches in a one-hit effort. Chronister finished with four strikeouts and one walk in five innings.
Florida got on the board in the bottom of the first with on a sacrifice fly by Kayli Kvistad that scored Justine McLean. In the second inning the Gators broke the game wide open as Jaimie Hoover hit her first career home run (a grand slam) to make it a 5-0 Florida lead. Three batters later, Amanda Lorenz hit a solo shot to right center field. Kvistad scored when Aleshia Ocasio doubled. The final score for Florida occurred via error as Janelle Wheaton and Ocasio scored as Jordan Roberts reached base on a throwing error. Florida finished the second inning leading by the final score of 9-0.
WP: Chronister (1-0)
LP: Jordan Cargile (0-3)
LEADERS:
- Chronister (UF) 5IP, 4K, BB, H
- Hoover (UF) 1-3, HR, 4RBI
- Lorenz (UF) 1-2, HR, RBI, BB
SUNDAY: Barnhill pitches one-hitter to lead Florida past USF
| RUNS | HITS | ERRORS | |
| FLORIDA | 8 | 9 | 0 |
| USF | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Kelly Barnhill pitched Florida’s second consecutive one-hitter on Sunday and led the Gators to a 8-0 victory over tournament hosts South Florida. Barnhill threw 87 pitches in six innings while allowing only a single hit. Barnhill struck out 12 Bulls hitters without walking any.
Sophomore Amanda Lorenz broke a scoreless tie in the top of the third inning with a three run blast scoring Justine McLean and Sophia Reynoso. Lorenz added to her RBI total with two more in the fourth inning when she doubled scoring McLean and Chelsea Herndon. Reynoso added a solo home run in the sixth inning, and three batters later Nicole Dewitt homered to score McLean.
WP: Barnhill (1-0)
LP: Kalen McGill (0-1)
LEADERS:
- Barnhill (UF) 6IP, 12K, H
- Lorenz (UF) 2-3, HR, 2B, 5RBI
- McLean (UF) 2-3, 3R, BB
- DeWitt (UF) 2-3, 2RBI, BB, R