2017 Gator Softball: March Recap

The No. 3 Florida Gators (38-2, 13-1 SEC) were absolutely dominant in the month of March as they posted a record of 16-1 (8-1 SEC). Their lone loss came in the series finale against the then No. 4 ranked Auburn Tigers (34-6, 8-4 SEC).

The Gators played seven games that ended in five innings while posting ten shutouts throughout the month. They won all three of their series in March (sweeping then No. 24 ranked Missouri and unranked South Carolina while taking two of three from Auburn) while defeating five ranked opponents (No. 23 California, No. 7 UCLA, No. 24 Missouri, No. 4 Auburn, and No. 24 Arkansas).

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

• 3/2 vs Iowa - Senior left-hander Delanie Gourley throws the first perfect game of her career in a five-inning victory over the Hawkeyes.
• 3/2 vs Long Beach State - Sophomore right-hander Kelly Barnhill throws the third one-hitter of her career.
• On March 6th, Delanie Gourley was honored as Co-SEC Pitcher of the Week after throwing her perfect game, striking out 11 in a complete game effort against No. 7 UCLA, and notching her second save of the year against Northwestern State.
• 3/19 vs South Carolina - Delanie Gourley and Aleshia Ocasio toss the fifth combined no-hitter in school history in a five-inning win over the Gamecocks.
• On March 21st, Delanie Gourley earned her second SEC Pitcher of the Week award. She went 2-0 in the previous week, was a part of the combined no-hitter, and allowed just two hits in 11 innings of work.
• 3/25 vs Auburn - Down 3-2 in the seventh with two outs, the Gators used some timely hitting and Auburn errors to walk off against the Tigers.

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

Offense

Hits: Amanda Lorenz (44) (Sophomore)

RBI's: Jaimie Hoover (36) (Freshman)

Doubles: Amanda Lorenz/Nicole DeWitt (5) (Junior)

Triples: Jamie Hoover

Home Runs: Amanda Lorenz (7)

Batting Average: Kayli Kvistad (.400)

Slugging Percentage: Amanda Lorenz (.664)

On Base Percentage: Kayli Kvistad (.599)

Stolen Bases: Justine McLean (13) (Senior)

Runs Scored: Nicole DeWitt (38)

Total Bases: Amanda Lorenz (75)

Strikeouts: Jordan Roberts (25) (Freshman)

Walks: Kayli Kvistad (47)

Hit By Pitch: Nicole DeWitt (13)

Sacrifice Bunts: Sophia Reynoso (5)

Sacrifice Flies: Nicole DeWitt (5)

Defense

Assists: Sophia Reynoso (61)

Putouts: Janell Wheaton (303) (Junior)

Errors: Jamie Hoover (4)

Fielding Percentage: Janell Wheaton/Jordan Roberts/Amanda Lorenz/Aleshia Ocasio (1.000)

Pitching

Wins: Kelly Barnhill (16) (Sophomore)

Losses: Delanie Gourley (2)

Strikeouts: Kelly Barnhill (175)

Walks: Kelly Barnhill (21)

Earned Run Average: Kelly Barnhill (0.22)

Shutouts: Kelly Barnhill (6)

Saves: Delanie Gourley/Kelly Barnhill/Katie Chronister (2)

Appearances: Delanie Gourley (21)

Innings Pitched: Delanie Gourley (97.1)

Looking Ahead

After cruising through March,  here's what Florida's schedule looks like for this upcoming month of April:

April

1st: @ No. 24 Arkansas*

2nd: @ No. 24 Arkansas*

5th: North Florida 

8th: Georgia*

9th: Georgia*

10th: Georgia*

12th: No. 2 FSU

14th: @ No.22 Kentucky*

15th: @ No.22 Kentucky*

16th: @ No.22 Kentucky*

19th: UCF

21st: No. 25 Ole Miss*

22nd: No. 25 Ole Miss*

23rd: No. 25 Ole Miss*

28th: @ No. 14 Tennessee*

29th: @ No. 14 Tennessee*

30th: @ No. 14 Tennessee*

Florida has played a little under half their games in April and are 7-0 in the month after walking off against No. 2 Florida State (38-2-1) last night. On a nine-game winning streak, the Gators will prepare to head to Lexington for a three-game set against the No. 22 Kentucky Wildcats (25-11, 5-7).

*All stats accredited to FloridaGators.com

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