Enea breaks SEC, Florida home run records; Gators softball sweeps Gamecocks in finale

No. 6/5 Florida Gators softball (42-7, 20-4 SEC) has been on a power stroke since the month of May began, outscoring opponents by a combined 47-1. That trend continued over the weekend as the ladies swept a three-game series with the visiting South Carolina Gamecocks (11-40, 1-27 SEC) in the final games of the 2010 regular season.

Though the Gators’ series sweep is nothing to shake a stick at, the story of the weekend came during Sunday’s game when senior outfielder Francesca Enea broke the Southeastern Conference career home run record (and her own Florida single-season home run record – 20) with the 61st moon shot of her career. In all, Enea knocked two homers while driving in six RBI over the weekend and was able to celebrate her triumph with a team victory on what was both Senior Day and Mother’s Day.

Florida scored 20 runs for the second time in three games in the first game of a doubleheader at Pressly Stadium on Saturday. The Gators beat the Gamecocks 20-0 in the opener (in which Enea hit her first home run of the weekend), 6-1 in the late game and 9-0 for the sweep in the finale on Sunday.

Junior catcher Tiffany DeFelice owned Saturday with a 4-6 performance for four RBI, two runs and a grand slam (the first of her career). Florida enjoyed another record on the afternoon with a single-game record 21 hits in the opening contest.

DeFelice’s classmate, junior OF Kelsey Bruder, led the team offensively over the course of the weekend, batting 5-8 (.625) with five runs, three RBI, one home run, a stolen base and three walks.

Junior starter Stephanie Brombacher (28-5) and freshman reliever Erin Schuppert tossed a combined no-hitter in the first game; Brombacher picked up the series finale on Sunday on her own with a complete-game one-hitter. In between, freshman Ensley Gammel (13-2) struck out seven in a complete game performance while only giving up one run on five hits – South Carolina’s only score of the series.

Next up for the Gators is the 2010 SEC Tournament, which takes place from May 13-15 at Bogle Park in Fayetteville, AR.

You can vote for Enea to win the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award representing excellence in the classroom, in the community, of character and in competition by clicking here.

Photo Credit: University of Florida