No. 1 Florida secures first SEC series

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The Gators won its first SEC series of the 2014 season on Sunday, defeating Mississippi 2-0 in the rubber game of the teams’ three-game set at Katie Seashole Pressly Softball Stadium. Freshman Delanie Gourley went the distance to improve to 9-0 on the season. The lefty allowed three hits during seven innings with two walks and four strikeouts, tossing her second shutout of the year.

Gourley and Ole Miss pitcher Carly Hummel traded zeros for the first three innings. Gourley retired the Rebels in order in the first two innings before she allowed two baserunners in the third on a hit and a walk. On the UF side, junior Lauren Haeger stroked a single in the first to represent the Gators’ only hit through the third.

Florida (24-1, 2-1 SEC) got on the board in the fourth with a solo home run from Stephanie Tofft, who took Hummel out to center field to give the Gators a 1-0 lead. The Orange and Blue added another run in the next inning with a leadoff homer to right from Chelsea Herndon, increasing the lead to 2-0.

The cushion was more than enough for Gourley, who allowed just one hit the rest of the way and cruised to the shutout, securing the series victory for the Gators on the first weekend of conference play.