Weekly calls it ‘worst double-header defeat' at UT

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The crowds came out en masse Saturday to see the softball doubleheader between top-ranked Florida and No. 6 Tennessee.

The Lady Vols (24-5, 2-2 SEC) didn’t do much on their part.

A large contingent of UT fans skipped the baseball game next door to cheer against a Florida crowd that included quarterback Tim Tebow. In the end, Florida (31-2, 10-0) finished with back-to-back 7-0 victories.

“Florida’s pitching was outstanding,” Lady Vols co-head coach Ralph Weekly said. “In the six years I’ve been at Tennessee, this is the worst double-header defeat we’ve ever had.”

Florida All-American Stacey Nelson (16-2) was spectacular in the first game. The senior struck out 11 and allowed three hits while walking none.

In the second game, sophomore Stephanie Brombacher (15-0) added nine more strikeouts, allowed two hits and walked one.

The opening game was scoreless after two innings when the Gators’ bats came alive against freshman Cat Hosfield (17-4) in the third. Hosfield walked two of the inning’s first four batters before Ali Gardiner singled to score Alicia Sisco.

Hosfield walked Francesca Enea in a 14-pitch battle before being pulled following a Corrie Brooks grand slam over the left-field fence.

“I wanted her out of there before she really got blasted,” Weekly said.

She returned in relief of Danielle Pieroni (4-1) in game two. Down 1-0 after two innings, she had similar results.

Hosfield allowed one run in the third, followed by back-to-back home runs from Brooks and Megan Bush in the fourth to blow the game open.

“She’s a freshman, and she’s good, but she has to learn these kind of lessons,” Weekly said.

Junior Tiffany Huff extended her hitting streak to a career-best 17 games in the first game, but failed to record a hit in the second.

Jen Lapicki was the only Tennessee player to log multiple hits in the doubleheader, going 2-for-5.