March 8, 2009
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Florida senior Stacey Nelson tossed a five-hit shutout to help the second-ranked Gators defeat South Carolina, 6-0, in the final game of the three-game series on Sunday at Beckham Field.
The Gators (22-2, 2-0 SEC) got on the board quickly, as Kelsey Bruder yanked the 2-0 pitch from Gamecock starter Audrey Broyles (6-3) over the right-field wall to put Florida up, 1-0, in the first. South Carolina (12-5, 0-3 SEC) tried to answer in the bottom half of the frame, as freshman Lauren Lackey reached on a leadoff single. She moved to second on a passed ball and advanced to third with two down on Laura Mendes’s grounder to second. But she would be stranded when Ali Gardiner caught Jill Semento’s blooping liner at first.
The visitors hung four runs on the board in the second, all coming with two outs. Megan Bush singled to center with one out in the inning, and Broyles got a pop up for the second out. Kristina Hilberth singled through the right side to put Bush into scoring position. Aja Paculba followed with a single that scored Bush, and Hilberth crossed the plate as well after the ball was mishandled in right. With Paculba at third after the error, Bruder was hit by the pitch and promptly stole second. Gardiner brought both home with her base hit. Broyles finally escaped the inning when she got Francesca Enea to fly out.
Florida tacked on their final run in the fifth when pinch runner Lauren Heil scored on a passed ball. Enea drew a leadoff walk, and Heil ran her way into scoring position with a stolen base and an error on the catch at second. Freshman pitcher Kelsey Goodwin got a fly out and a liner back to her before the passed ball let Heil score. After walking Bush, sophomore catcher P.J. Fulmer threw out pinch runner Le-Net Franklin on her attempted steal.
Nelson (11-2) pitched brilliantly, scattering the five hits in different innings while not walking anyone and striking out seven. Broyles got the loss, allowing five runs, four earned, on six hits in two innings.
South Carolina continues SEC play on Wednesday with a doubleheader at Arkansas. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Bogle Park.
