(SB) Florida at Jacksonville 2/14/2023 6:00 PM ESPN+

Her only job was to throw strikes. Fail.

 

so is this her 1st game this year? tough crowd, lets see how she does in other games before we condem her.

 

Frustrating part was that she was perfectly capable of throwing strikes, she threw them on all the 3-0 counts.
But I harp on it all the time in baseball, literally giving up a HR is better than a walk in a game like that. And she gave up 4. Plus the WP.
I know what Walton was doing, but pulling her after the second walk would have been a better teaching moment than letting her pitch out of it.

 

I wasn't condemning her-one long ball could have negated the RR. I trust CTW knows what he's doing

 

She threw 1 inning in Tampa and did fine.

 

That was one of those First and Third plays that make softball a different game than baseball.

But with the throw actually going to 2B why didn't Falby -- our fastest runner -- head home from 3B?

 

And with that went Hightower's perfect game (not just a no hitter), just four outs from the end.

 

Well, no. Over the plate is one place where she wasn't. At all. I did enjoy the pitch BEHIND the batter. In a different game, that probably would have sparked a bench clearing brawl. In this game, just more sympathy since no one thought it was at all intentional.

As one who was there.......it was a pretty cold night. Everyone is thinking, three outs and its over. Warm car is in the parking lot. The Gator bus had moved up the hill from the parking lot to the stadium gate, ready to go. My feet were actually getting numb (okay, I shouldn't have worn shorts and sandles). With Bender, the inning kept going on and on and on and on. I was actually getting worried that our run rule might be in jeopardy and we'd have to freeze our a$$es for another two innings.

During Fall ball, I commented, "not ready for prime time." I was hoping to see a Bosch miracle improvement. One game can be a fluke, but most of her pitches did not even require consideration by the batter.

 

Didn't she only face one batter?

 

I agree, my brother. Championship teams BURY the opponent when a run rule is pending. We need Bender down the road in May and June. I have MASSIVE hope for this era of Florida Softball, and it is going to culminate in one, if not more than one, NCAA Title(s)

And it's great to be a Florida Gator.

 

My guess is that we had a huge lead and Coach Walton didn't want to rub it in. Just showing some class towards the opponent.

 

You are right - she got a fly out on 2 pitches to end the opening game.