Tide Softball Splits with Gators on the Road
4/15/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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» Game 1 Box Score
» Game 2 Box Score
GAINESVILLE, FL—A match-up between the top two teams in the SEC yielded what many fans expected, a doubleheader split, as 17th ranked Alabama (33-14, 16-4 SEC) took the first game 2-1 and 20th ranked Florida (32-12, 13-4) claimed the nightcap 4-2.
After playing through three straight scoreless innings in Game 1, Alabama finally pushed two runs across in the top of the fourth.
Lacy Prejean reached on a two-out double and came in to score on a Jennifer Reach single. Reach advanced to second on the throw home. Jackie Wilkins followed with a double to right-centerfield scoring Reach for a 2-0 Alabama lead.
The Gators got on the board in the bottom of the fifth when Jennifer Mossadeghi led off with a walk and was pinch run for by Jennifer Brown who took second on a sacrifice. Brown then stole third and advanced home when the Alabama throw trickled into the Florida dugout, cutting the Bama lead in half to 2-1; however that was all the Gators would get.
Stephanie VanBrakle (10-4) picked up the win for the Bama throwing a complete game two-hitter while striking out eight batters and allowing only one run that was unearned.
Prejean led the Tide offense going 2-3 with a run scored.
In the nightcap, Alabama took an early lead, striking for a run in the top of the first inning. Ashley Courtney led off with a single and took second on a throwing error by the second baseman. Jackie McClain came up and with one out singled to right field scoring Courtney for a 1-0 Bama lead.
Florida answered back in the bottom of the first when Jenny Gladding hit a three-run home run over the right-centerfield fence to put the Gators on top 3-1.
The Tide cut into the lead in the top of the fifth sparked by a lead-off single from Jackie Wilkins who went to second on a sacrifice bunt from Dominique Accetturo. Angela Johnson then singled back up the middle putting runners on the corners for the Tide. The next pitch Bama pulled off a successful double steal with Wilkins scoring and cutting the lead to 3-2.
Florida answered in the bottom of the inning scoring on a sacrifice fly pushing its lead to 4-2.
Jennifer Wright (8-5) took the loss for the Tide after giving up three runs on five hits in four innings of work.
The Tide and the Gators will play the rubber match of the series on Wednesday with a 5 p.m. (EDT) scheduled start. Fans can follow all the action on WVUA 90.1 FM.
