WOMEN'S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES / WINNER'S BRACKET
TEXAS 10, FLORIDA 0 (5 innings)
WHAT HAPPENED: No. 1-seed Texas smashed three homers, including a tone-setting three-run shot in the first inning, sending fourth-seeded Florida into the elimination side of the Women's College World Series bracket with a 10-0 run-rule victory Saturday night at Devon Park in Oklahoma City. Longhorns junior Mac Morganhad a no-hitter going into the Gators's fifth untilKatie Kistler, the home run hero in UF's 1-0 first-round win Thursday nightover Oklahoma State, broke up the no-no with a hard ground ball that kicked off the second baseman's glove. Morgan got the next batter, Emily Wilkie to ground into a double play, and pinch-hitter Baylee Goddard on a grounder to thirdto end the game before the stadium lights had even come on.The tone was set early.AfterMorganset UF down in order (with a couple strikeouts) to open the game, Longhorns leadoff batter Bella Dayton greeted UF freshman starter Keagan Rothrock, who two-hit the Cowgirls two nights earlier, with a mashed line-drive single off the wall in left. After a sac bunt moved the runner to second, Daytonscored on a ground single to right by Viviana Martinez to go up 1-0. Rothrock then hit clean-up batter Reese Atwood, putting runners at first and second with just out. When Katie Stewart, the Longhorns' fifth batter, ripped a double to left center Gators coach Tim Waltonmade a move. Down 2-0, he pulled Rothrock after just 14 pitches and called on freshman Ava Brown to switch from first base to the circle. Brown, making just her third appearance of the postseason, was greeted by Alyssa Washington with a three-run homer into the left-center bleachers to dump the Gators into a 5-0 hole. Two innings later, it was 9-0 after the Longhorns struck for a pair of two-out homers -- a solo shot by Martinez and then, after back-to-back singles, a three-run shot by Stewart -- to push UT past the run-rule threshold. UF went quietly from there.
PLAY OF THE GAME:Given the Longhorns came in giving up just 2.24 runs per game and have three outstanding pitchers with ERAs under 2.00, that Washington homer and 5-0 lead out of the box was an ominous start, to say the least.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT:There's a reason the Longhorns are the No. 1 team in the country. Remember, they beat Stanford 4-0 in Thursday's opening round, so make that two shutouts in two WCWS games. Texas is also the No. 1 offensive team in the country and demonstrated as much Saturday at the Gators' expense, finishing with 10 hits and 10 runs through just four innings. The Longhorns came to OKC batting .379 as a team and averaging 8.0 runs per game.
STAGGERING STATISTIC:The shutout was the Gators' first in 40 games this season. More on that below.
UF COACH TIM WALTON:
* "Obviously, Texas played a great game. We didn't play very well today. But the good thing being in the winners' bracket, we have an opportunity ahead of us next game. Just give them credit. [We] get an opportunity to see what our team is made of and how long they want to continue to play.Looking forward to seeing the bounce-back."
* (On the quick hook of Rothrock): "It is what it is. Again, that many runs that quick, really not fooling anybody. Typically, when she goes good, she goes good. When she goes bad, she goes bad. I don't need the video replay to look [and] see where the ball was at. I imagine it's sitting somewhere nicely over the plate."
* (On how his team will react in elimination situation): "It's up to the players. I said it to you from the very beginning of the tournament, the players control what you do in postseason. They're the ones that continue to play in big moments. They're the ones that get an opportunity to do it. My job is to try to help each one of them achieve their confidence and get the reps that they need. That's how I handle postseason always. Always have. I don't over-coach it. We don't over-scout it. I'm not going to overthink it, either. I think they're going to be super-excited to get up and get after it. We just got our butts kicked. They're competitors. That's the bad part of about being in the losers bracket. It's that doubt."
SKYLAR WALLCE (senior shortstop)
*(As a captain, what do you say to the team?): "Yeah, I think everyone kind of knows the reality of what just happened. That's not how we prepared for this day to go. They know what's on the line. But after the first inning, we huddled up. I said, 'Remember back to August, September, when we were looking to our left, right, just thinking, Why? This is why.' You have to bring that out, all that work, the hours, all the days off you went in and hit. That's what you put the work in for; to have the opportunity to be here, compete in the semifinals for a national championship.
We're going to look in the mirror a little bit. Reflect on our goods, bads. Wipe it off, take a hot shower. We're going to wake up in the morning and get after it. I think we're going to control the vibes, keep the vibes loose [and] have fun. We really have nothing to lose at this point. You just have to play softball. You have seven innings, 21 outs. Just get after it and have fun."
UP NEXT:Florida (52-14) will face 14th-seeded Alabama (39-19) in an all-Southeastern Conference elimination game Sunday beginning at 3 p.m. ET. The Gators took two of three from the Crimson Tide during their regular-season series at Tuscaloosa, winning the first two games 2-0 and 11-2, respectively, then dropping the third 3-0. The latter was way back on March 11 (the opening SEC series of the season for both teams) and marked the last time UF was shut out this season. The Florida-Alabama winner would have to beat No. 2 seed and three-time defending NCAA champion Oklahoma (53-6)twiceMonday to advance to the WCWS championship series.
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