April 16, 2011
Auburn, Ala. - The 10th-ranked Florida Gators hit a combined seven home runs on the day to sweep a doubleheader from the 24th-ranked Auburn softball team Saturday afternoon. Florida won game one 14-4 and game two 8-2.
Auburn fell to 32-11 overall and 11-8 in the Southeastern Conference. Florida improved to 36-7 overall and 12-6 in the SEC. The Tigers and Gators conclude the series Sunday with a 1 p.m. game.
"Obviously this was a tough day for us," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "Florida is a very good team. We are going to have to re-group and come back fighting tomorrow."
In game two, Florida used a four-run fourth inning to break a tie game and complete the two-game sweep with an 8-2 victory.
Angel Bunner took the loss in a complete-game effort, falling to 11-4 on the season. Bunner allowed eight runs, all earned, on 13 hits with four walks and seven strikeouts.
Stephanie Brombacher started and earned the win to improve to 15-0. Brombacher allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits with one walk and four strikeouts in four and two-thirds innings. Hannah Rogers pitched the final two and one-third innings without allowing a base runner.
The Tigers jumped out to the early lead on Lauren Guzman's RBI double in the bottom of the first. Kelsey Cartwright reached on a fielder's choice and came around to score on Guzman's two-out double to right. Guzman was thrown out attempting to advance to third on the play to end the inning with Auburn leading 1-0.
Florida tied the game with two outs in the top of the second. Brittany Schutte singled to open the inning and moved to second on a two-out walk to Cheyenne Coyle. Kelsey Horton followed with a bloop single to center that scored Schutte and tied the game 1-1.
Megan Bush gave Florida a 2-1 lead with a bases-loaded sac fly in the top of the third. With one out, Aja Paculba walked and moved to second on a single by Kelsey Bruder. A walk to Schutte loaded the bases and set to set up Bush's go-ahead sac fly.
Auburn took advantage of a Florida error to tie the game in the bottom of the third. Caitlin Stangl singled to open the AU half and moved to second on a ground out by Estell. Kelsey Cartwright followed with a single to left that left fielder Kelsey Bruder over ran. The ball rolled to the wall, allowing Stangl to score and make it a 2-2 game.
Florida re-gained the lead in the top of the fourth. Coyle and Horton singled consecutively to open the inning and moved to third and second, respectively, on a sac bunt. Moultrie then plated Coyle on a sac fly to give Florida a 3-2 lead. Paculba followed with a hard single through the left side to plate Horton and give Florida a 4-2 lead. Bruder made it a 6-2 game with a two-run home run to center on a 1-1 pitch. It was Bruder's 13th home run of the season and second of the day.
Coyle made it a 7-2 game with a leadoff home run over the wall in center in the seventh inning. It was Coyle's 10th home run of the season and third of the day. The Gators tacked on the final run on a double steal, with Moultire (single) stealing second and Fagan (double) stealing home.
In game one, Florida hit five home runs and overcame an early 4-1 deficit to cruise to a 14-4 win over the Tigers.
Lauren Schmalz took the loss in relief to fall to 12-4. Schmalz allowed nine runs, five earned, on eight hits in two and two-thirds innings. Jenee Loree started and went three and two-thirds, allowing three runs, all earned, on one hit with four walks and two strikeouts. Hilary Mavromat recorded the final two outs, allowing two runs, both earned, on two hits with one walk.
Hannah Rogers earned the complete-game win to improve to 21-5. Rogers allowed four runs, two earned, on seven hits with four walks and three strikeouts.
Morgan Estell got the Tigers started with a solo home run to open the bottom of the first inning. It was Estell's sixth home run of the season and the fourth to open a game. Estell's solo shot came on a 1-2 pitch and sailed over the wall in left for a 1-0 Tigers' lead.
The Gators tied the game in the third inning on a leadoff home run from Cheyenne Coyle. It was Coyle's eighth home run of the season and it came on a 3-2 pitch from Loree.
The Tigers re-gained the lead with a three-run third inning. Caitlin Stangl opened the frame with a ground ball that shortstop Coyle booted, allowing Stangl to reach on an error. Estell followed with a double to put runners at third and second with no outs. Kelsey Cartwright then brought both runners home with a double to left to give Auburn a 3-1 lead. After a walk to Amber Harrison, Lauren Guzman laced a double off the wall in left to score Cartwright and push the Tigers' lead to 4-1.
Once again Florida rallied to tie the game. After recording the first two outs of the fourth, Loree issued consecutive walks to Megan Bush and Tiffany DeFelice. Schmalz then relieved Loree and threw wild on her first pitch to advance the runners to third and second. On a 2-1 pitch, Coyle crushed a game-tying home run over the wall in left. It was Coyle's second home run of the day, ninth of the season, and even the score at 4-4.
Florida took the lead in the fifth inning on a three-run homer from Bush. It came with two outs in the inning with Aja Paculba (error) and Kelsey Bruder (single) aboard. It was Bush's 19th home run of the season and it gave the Gators a 7-4 lead.
The Gators extended their lead in the sixth inning. Coyle walked to open the inning and, after the next two batters were retired, came in to score on a triple to right by Michelle Moultrie. The throw home by Cartwright was up the line and rolled to the dugout, allowing Moultrie to score on the play to make it a 9-4 game.
Florida's fourth home run of the game gave the Gators a 10-4 lead in the top of the seventh. Bruder led off the seventh with her 12th home run of the season that cleared the wall in right-center. After a one-out single by Bush, DeFelice hit a two-run homer that just cleared the wall in left to give Florida a 12-4 lead. It was DeFelice's third homer of the season.
Schmalz was lifted for Mavromat following the home run. After a walk and single, Moultire laced a double to left-center that plated two runs to give Florida the final 14-4 margin of victory.