Special to GC

Gainesville, Fla. – The No. 1-ranked University of Florida softball team earned two wins on Saturday to remain perfect on the season. The Gators (9-0) defeated NC State, 5-3, in the first game before posting an 8-0 victory over Iowa in Game 2. The win over the Wolfpack marked the 500th win for UF Head Coach Tim Walton during his nine-plus seasons in Gainesville.

Displaying discipline at the plate, Florida loaded the bases in the first inning against the Wolfpack on walks to Kelsey Stewart and Lauren Haeger and a hit-by-pitch by Kirsti Merritt. Bailey Castro and Taylore Fuller then drew bases-loaded walks to give the home team a 2-0 lead without the benefit of a hit.

The Gators extended their lead to three runs in the fourth inning. Justine McLean had an infield single to start the frame, moving up on a walk to Stewart and a sacrifice bunt by DeWitt. Merritt laid down a bunt on the next play, and the McLean beat the throw home to make the score 3-0 in favor of Florida. NC State got a run back in the fifth on a UF error that followed a two-out double.

The Wolfpack cut the Gator lead to 3-2 on a solo home run in the sixth. Stewart led off the home half with a double down the left-field line, and Nicole DeWitt walked to set up a two-run single through the middle by Haeger, pushing Florida’s advantage back to three runs at 5-2.

After pinch-running for Haeger in the previous inning, Aleshia Ocasio went to the circle in the seventh. Another solo home run reduced UF’s lead to two, but the freshman recovered with three straight strikeouts to save the win for Delanie Gourley (2-0), who allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits over six innings with four walks and 11 strikeouts.

Florida jumped out to an early lead again in the Iowa game as Haeger walked and advanced on an illegal pitch before Castro homered to left-center to put Florida ahead 2-0. During a five-run third, the Arizona native drew a leadoff walk and scored on a single up the middle by Kayli Kvistad. Castro followed Haeger with a four-pitch free pass, coming around to score on Fuller’s base hit down the left-field line to increase the Gators lead to 4-0. Aubree Munro then launched a three-run home run off the left-field scoreboard, plating Kvistad and Fuller.

The momentum continued for the Orange and Blue in the fourth, when Haeger hit a one-out solo homer to straightaway center, increasing the Gator lead to 8-0. The senior (3-0) finished her own shutout in the fifth, yielding two hits and no walks with eight strikeouts.