(SB) Ongoing UF Softball Commentary

I don't think Walton sent Wallace. The announcers even said he was trying to hold her up and she had her head down and ran through his stop sign. He used to be way more aggressive with base runners and this year's team has more speed than any team we've ever had, so I don't understand his reluctance to challenge the defense.

 

We only have 3 signees in the 2022 recruiting class and one of them, Sam Roe, decided to enroll early and is already playing. Roe was ranked the #2 recruit in the 2022 class. The other 2 are pitcher Olivia Gigante from San Diego and infielder Kaila Pollard from Riverside, CA. Pollard is the #4 rated recruit in the 2022 class and could take over for Hannah Adams at 2nd base.
Extra Star Power: 2022 SS/OF Kaila Pollard… Ranked #4 in the 2022 Extra Elite 100 and Headed to Florida! - Extra Inning Softball
Adams, Natalie Lugo, Marissa Mesiemore and Kinsey Goelz are the only players who are using up their eligibility this year. Cheyenne Lindsey, Charla Echols and Elizabeth Hightower are seniors who can play another year if they want. I do think freshman Cali Decker will be more of a contributor next year. She came in as a highly touted catcher/hitter, but cut her hand in the fall and has played very little this year. I expect there will be a few players transfer out and we'll probably pick up a couple from the transfer portal. I'm still mystified by Rylee Trlicek. She came in rated as the #2 pitcher in the nation in her recruiting class and was doing very well in 2020 when the COVID shutdown occurred. She didn't pitch much last year, nor so far this year, but was expected to be our next All-SEC type pitcher.
Just an FYI - The 2023 class is unbelievable. We are getting the #1- rated recruit, pitcher Keegan Rothrock from Indiana, the #2 rated recruit, infielder Mia Williams from Windemere, FL, the #4 rated recruit, pitcher/1B Ava Brown from Texas, the #11 rated recruit infielder Alyssa Hovermale from California and the #13 rated recruit, catcher/pitcher/infielder Ariel Kowalewski from Texas.
Commit News: Our Q&A with Alyssa “Lou” Hovermale… One of 5 Top-Rated Florida Gator Commits in the Class of 2023 - Extra Inning Softball

 

We need ALL the girls to be better with runners in scoring position and to advance runners in key spots instead of striking out and popping up. With a team without a lot of power, you have to minimize non-productive outs and for the most part we're doing a poor job of that.

 

Agree. Two out hits win championships, though, and we're just not getting them very often.

 

UD/Bama game 1 at 5 pm Saturday on ESPN. As an aside, #3 FSU lost at home to #5 Virginia Tech Friday night 6-3 in 9 innings. Their star pitcher Katheryn Sandercock pitched 8.1 innings and lost her first game of the season, making her record 19-1.

 

Virginia Tech beat up on FSU today 23-9!!!!
Starting lineups posted and it will be Montana Fouts vs. Elizabeth Hightower. Fouts is 15-2, 2 saves, 2.00 ERA, 98 innings, 66 hits, 24 walks, 6 HR and 165 strikeouts. Hightower is 10-2, 1 save, 1.84 ERA, 87.1 innings, 64 hits, 38 walks, 5 HR and 84 strikeouts. Wallace, Adams, Echols & Lindsey need to display their experience and the young player need to step up and show some maturity. This is a huge series for Gator softball if they want to challenge for the SEC title and a Top 8 seed in the NCAA's.

 

UF softball got blasted by Alabama today 8-3. Elizabeth Hightower struck out the first 3 batters she faced and then it was downhill from there. She only lasted 2.2 innings giving up 7 runs on 7 hits with 2 walks and a wild pitch. Haley Pittman pitcher 2 innings without giving up a run and Marissa Mesiemore threw .2 innings giving up 2 walks a hit and arun. Rylee Trlicek got the last 2 outs of the 7th innings. Montana Fouts threw 144 pitches and had a rough 4th inning when the Gators scored all their runs, but she only gave up 4 hits with 11 K's and 6 walks. Florida needs to rebound Sunday with better pitching (Luigo or Delbrey?) and doing a better job of making contact. Today looked like a mismatch, but maybe they will be like our baseball team and rebound with 2 big wins.