Gator Softball Records Perfect Game Against Hampton

The Florida softball team recorded their season high of 18 runs and 19 hits Friday. Aleshia Ocasio and Natalie Lugo combined for Florida’s (29-4) second perfect game of the season in an 18-0 victory over Hampton University (13-15).

Rainesville

One Inning. Three three run home runs. Gators led 9-0 to close out the first inning.

Kayli Kvistad busted the game wide open with her three-run home run to score Amanda Lorenz and Nicole DeWitt. Lorenz hit a single to right center field to lead off the inning. DeWitt followed with a walk.  Two outs later, Jaimie Hoover slugged her second home run of the season; the hit brought in Ocasio and Jordan Roberts. They both reached base on singles.

And the home runs continued to rain down in Gainesville. DeWitt ripped the third three-run home run of the inning. Her eighth homer of the season plated Sophia Reynoso who singled to right field and Lorenz who was walked in four pitches.

In the bottom of the second, freshman Hannah Adams recorded her second career home run. The two-run shot brought in Ocasio, advancing the lead out to 11-0.

The next inning brought the Gators fourth three-run homer of the game. Jordan Matthews ripped one to right field. and little used Theresa Swertfager got into the act, hitting a run scoring single, scoring Lily Mann.

It was 15-0 in the fourth inning, and Florida’s last at bat. The bases were loaded when RBI groundouts from Mann and Katie Chronister scored two runners. Danielle Romanello closed out the scoring with a single to score the final run. The game ended during the fifth, the Gators defeating the Lady Pirates 18-0.

https://twitter.com/GatorsSB/status/979783301329285120

Perfect Pitching

Only 10 of Ocasio’s (13-2) 33 pitches were not strikes. The senior had five strikeouts and allowed no hits or runs during her three innings in the circle. Freshman right-handed pitcher Natalie Lugo threw 20 strikes out of just 26 pitches. The duo tallied seven strikeouts in the team’s second perfect game of the season.

”I thought Aleshia and Natalie were featuring a pretty good rise ball and off speed pitch today,” Gator coach Tim Walton said. “They really set the tone for us. When you don’t give up any base runners in a game that means you had some good defensive plays, but I thought overall the difference was what those two did in the circle.”

https://twitter.com/GatorsSB/status/979745272384442368

 Game Two

Florida played Jacksonville in the second of its two schedule games on the day and this one was completely different from the first contest.   It began to rain and runs were not easy to come by as the game was tied 1-1 with Jacksonville University (19-13). With one out in the fifth inning, the game was stopped due to weather.  JU jumped out to the lead as Serena Quinata hit a solo home run off Kelly Barnhill.  Janell Wheaton evened the score in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI single for Florida.

The game will resume Saturday 30 minutes after Jacksonville plays Hampton.

Watch the highlights from Friday’s games.

🎥 A look back at Game 1⃣, what happened in Game ✌️before the 🌧️ and all the info on tomorrow’s games from @GatorSportsTom & @kelseyhorton20! pic.twitter.com/va6MrhK26F

— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) March 30, 2018