2017 Gator Softball: February Recap

The No. 1 Florida Gators (20-1) kicked off the season in style as they went 15-1 in the opening month of the season. They defeated two ranked opponents with a win over No. 6 Michigan (12-6-1) on February 11th and No. 24 South Florida (13-8) on February 12th. They shut out 10 of their opponents this month and outscored their competition 97-12!

Here are some notable Gator performances and accolades from this past month:

• 2/10 vs Illinois State - Senior left-handed pitcher Delanie Gourley tosses a one-hitter as she strikes out 12 in a 9-0 opening day victory.
• 2/12 vs Delaware - True freshman left-hander Katie Chronister throws a one-hitter in her collegiate debut as No. 1 Florida shuts out Delaware 9-0
• 2/12 vs No. 24 South Florida - Sophomore right-hander Kelly Barnhill throws her third career one-hitter as she strikes out 12 in an 8-0 victory.
• 2/18 vs Northwestern State - Kelly Barnhill throws her fourth career one-hitter as she strikes out nine in a 10-0 victory.
• On February 20th, Kelly Barnhill was named SEC Pitcher of the Week after winning three games and throwing her one-hitter against Northwestern State. In that span, she struck out 32 batters and allowed just seven hits in 14.2 innings.

And now, here are the Gator stat leaders after a month of play:

Offense

Hits: Sophia Reynoso (26) (Redshirt Freshman)

RBI's: Jaimie Hoover (24) (Freshman)

Doubles: Kayli Kvistad (5) (Junior)

Triples: Sophia Reynoso/Aleshia Ocasio/Jamie Hoover/Nicole DeWitt (1) (Junior//Junior)

Home Runs: Amanda Lorenz (4) (Sophomore)

Batting Average: Kayli Kvistad (.479)

Slugging Percentage: Kayli Kvistad (.708)

On Base Percentage: Kayli Kvistad (.667)

Stolen Bases: Justine McLean (10) (Senior)

Runs Scored: Sophia Reynoso/Justine McLean (19)

Total Bases: Sophia Reynoso/Amanda Lorenz (35)

Strikeouts: Jordan Roberts (13) (Freshman)

Walks: Kayli Kvistad (26)

Hit By Pitch: Sophia Reynoso (6)

Defense

Assists: Sophia Reynoso/Nicole DeWitt (30)

Putouts: Janell Wheaton (158) (Junior)

Errors: Jamie Hoover (3)

Fielding Percentage: Janell Wheaton/Kayli Kvistad/Jordan Roberts/Sophia Reynoso/Nicole DeWitt/Amanda Lorenz/Aleshia Ocasio (1.000)

Pitching

Wins: Delanie Gourley/Kelly Barnhill (8) (Senior/Sophomore)

Losses: Delanie Gourley (1)

Strikeouts: Kelly Barnhill (98)

Walks: Kelly Barnhill (13)

Earned Run Average: Kelly Barnhill (0.28)

Shutouts: Kelly Barnhill (5)

Saves: Delanie Gourley/Kelly Barnhill (2)

Appearances: Delanie Gourley (12)

Innings Pitched: Delanie Gourley (50.1)


Final Takeaway
With SEC play starting in March, the Gators are firing on all cylinders. Here's what their schedule looks like for this upcoming month:

March
Judi Garman Classic (2nd-4th)
2nd: Iowa
2nd: Long Beach State
3rd: No. 23 California
3rd: No. 7 UCLA
4th: Northwestern
8th: @UNF
11th: Missouri*
12th: Missouri*
13th: Missouri*
15th: North Dakota State
17th: @South Carolina*
18th: @South Carolina*
19th: @South Carolina*
22nd: Missouri*
22th: FAU
25th: No. 4 Auburn*
26th: No. 4 Auburn*
27th: No. 4 Auburn*
29th: Bethune-Cookman
31st: @ No. 24 Arkansas*


As I write this, the No. 1 Florida Gators have already carved through some of the March schedule as they prepare for Missouri (11-8) this weekend. With this being Florida's first true home series of 2017, I would expect a good turnout at Katie Seashole Pressly Softball Stadium.

*All stats accredited to FloridaGators.com

THIS ARTICLE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION!