As Texas Tech players lined up down the first base line to face Florida softball in the Gainesville Regionals, players could be seen swatting away swarms of lovebugs.
“It was terrible,” Texas Tech second baseman Lauren Allred said. “They were so bad. They were just swarming us and then we couldn’t figure out how to get them away. It was moreso trying to deal with them then do something about them at that point.”
The bugs didn’t seem to bother Texas Tech at the plate. The Red Raiders pounded out 10 runs on 12 hits, including three homers, in their 10-8 win over the Florida Gators in Game 1 of the Gainesville Super Regional on May 22 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
Mia Williams once again wore the black hat. About an hour after her family members were involved in an altercation that led to the ejection of a Florida fan, the Gator-turned-Texas Tech second baseman drilled the game-winning, go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the seventh.
Williams and Allred said the lovebugs didn’t impact Texas Tech players at the plate or in the field.
“It kind of went away at the end,” Williams said of the bugs. “Once the clouds started to come in a little.”
How Texas Tech broke through against Florida softball pitching
Texas Tech went scoreless through the first three innings before breaking through against UF starting pitcher Keagan Rothrock for three runs in the fourth inning on RBI doubles by shortstop Hailey Toney, catcher Lagi Quiroga and Williams.
“The first couple of batters, when the game started, there was solid contact, so we knew we were seeing her well,” Allred said. “But there’s good communication in the dugout, making good balls, like they’re going to fall as long as we can keep putting it in play.”
Allred then drilled a three-run homer off UF reliever Olivia Miller, extending Texas Tech’s lead to 6-1.
“Our lineup is so deep,” Allred said. “Everybody through it, even people on the bench… like anybody at the plate can make something happen.”
Texas Tech kept pressure on Florida’s defense throughout the game, pounding out 12 hits and walking three times while striking out just once.
“It’s taken this team a long time to find the best version of themselves,” Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco said. “I still think we’re gonna get a little bit better. I don’t think we’re full potential yet but I felt like after Ole Miss (in regionals) … I feel like we took a turn and will become a better ball team in front of us now.”
Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Texas Tech softball adjusts to lovebugs, gets bats going in super regional win vs Florida
Reporting by Kevin Brockway, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
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