Gainesville, Fla. -- Stetson's first-ever NCAA Tournament game might be one the Hatters just as soon forget.
Top-seeded Florida pounded out seven runs on 12 hits en route to a 7-0 victory over Stetson Friday night at the Florida Softball Stadium.
Stacy Nelson and Stacey Stevens combined on a two-hit shutout for the Gators (47-20), who advance to play Georgia Tech in a winner's bracket game tomorrow at 1 p.m. The Hatters (44-21) will face elimination against Texas at 3:30 p.m.
"Florida played an excellent game," Stetson coach Frank Griffin said. "They really brought their 'A' game tonight. Their pitching was dominant, they hit well, and they ran the bases well. You have to give credit where credit is due."
After two scoreless innings, Florida got its offense clicking scoring three times in the bottom of the third. Ali Gardiner's two-run double highlighted the frame. Those three runs came against Stetson starter Erica Demers (21-6), who saw her nine-game win streak snapped. Heather Colding came on in relief in the fourth, but the Gators touched her for four runs over the next two innings. Melissa Zick's two-run triple in the fourth helped break the game open. Amanda Lindsey pitched a scoreless inning of relief in the sixth.
Stetson managed just two hits, both singles, and both coming in the third inning from Amy Peters and Sherrel Fountain. But the Hatters could not break through against Nelson (31-13), who picked up her 31st win of the season, a new Florida record. She struck out eight of the 15 batters she faced.
"Our kids have a lot of composure and never give up," Griffin said. "Things just didn't fall our way today. But it wasn't as much about what we did as it was about what Florida did. If they keep it up they will be tough to beat."
Stetson will now have to fight its way out of the loser's bracket. If the Hatters defeat Texas tomorrow they will face the Florida-Georgia Tech loser at 6 p.m. If they win again, they will have to win twice more on championship Sunday. Stetson won three elimination games last week in the A-Sun tournament.
"We are not in a world of trouble," Griffin said. "We just came off a conference tournament where there are six teams, not four, and if you lose the first day you are in trouble. Here, if we win two ballgames tomorrow we will be in the championship. It's not over for us by any stretch."
Notes: Florida has now won all 11 meetings against the Hatters in Gainesville ... Stetson played its school record 65th game of the season ... Sherrel Fountain, Nicole Forbes, Andrea Migliori, Lindsay Wightman, Blythe Golden, and Amy Joyce have played in all 65 games.
