Gator Softball: WCWS in OKC

Spurdog98

Preston Brooks
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Yeah, I watched that game. I can't think of a worst "small ball" coach than Walton. Bottom of the 7th, 0 outs, man on first and 2nd, and he leaves that worthless Caraway in to slap instead of bunting them over. But of course, none of them can bunt. That loss is on Walton. But, maybe Puk wasn't fresh. Oh, I'm sorry, that was Sully.
Walton is a baseball player coaching softball like he's coaching baseball. He's stubborn and sometimes clueless. He knows he has a team that can't hit from sht and yet continues to leave base runners on the bags instead of putting some pressure on the defense. That slapping shyt is useless in most cases and does even less than a good bunt. One other thing I noticed is that when the lady that left a few years ago that was basically in charge of pitching and pitch call, Kelly started to struggle. The first HR she gave up was on the same damn pitch she had just thrown, she threw it again after Show had just seen it and got crushed. She either missed her spot or the pitching coach is an imbecile. The girl was 6'0 tall. Does it not stand to reason that after she fouled of the first riser that the two seam low and in would have done her in for a K?
 

Gator87

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I found it interesting in reading articles about the game that Walton basically called it as all of us saw it - they can't hit. Also interesting was the article on the UF website pulled no punches and mentioned how inept OSU was but that UF was even worse. Unreal. Zero support for KB.

My TV got an earful when Caraway failed to hit the ball to right side; that was a killer. Seems her style of hitting would not be the best for that situation.
The fact that she can’t bunt, Walton’s words not mine, speaks volumes. She cant hit either, if you’re serious about playing softball and don’t have a big bat and can run there’s no excuse for not knowing how to bunt. She should have been pinch hit for in that situation last night. The other problem we have is that the bench is loaded with pinch runners and hitters that strike out more often than they put the ball in play. Looks like Tim missed on quite a few recruits in the last couple of years, there are about 3 starters playing this year that would have never seen the field in the past
 

Double Gator Dad

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Walton should apologize to the team for pitching to Show in the 6th. Totally ignorant and unnecessary.

Great performance by Barnhill. TWO pitches out of 100+ lost the game. Their team was 0-20 against her, except for Show.

We were who we've been all year - poor hitting team.

While on the subject of apologies, Kyndall Lindeman should apologize to her team for masquerading as a softball player. She has one more hit in the postseason than I do and I never even tried out for the team. All year long we have lamented the fact that we only have two hitters but we were wrong. We only have one hitter (the best one we’ve ever had) and a pitcher and the two of them deserve better from their teammates.
Unfortunately we will see Lorenz and Barnhill play one more time
 

Spurdog98

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Walton might want to spend some time in the off season ( which will be here VERY shortly) on hitting and maybe knock a few minutes off of the time he spends making sure they never make an error on defense.
 

oxking

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Walton is a baseball player coaching softball like he's coaching baseball. He's stubborn and sometimes clueless. He knows he has a team that can't hit from sht and yet continues to leave base runners on the bags instead of putting some pressure on the defense. That slapping shyt is useless in most cases and does even less than a good bunt. One other thing I noticed is that when the lady that left a few years ago that was basically in charge of pitching and pitch call, Kelly started to struggle. The first HR she gave up was on the same damn pitch she had just thrown, she threw it again after Show had just seen it and got crushed. She either missed her spot or the pitching coach is an imbecile. The girl was 6'0 tall. Does it not stand to reason that after she fouled of the first riser that the two seam low and in would have done her in for a K?
Right on. Walton shows real stupidity sometimes. It's like he doesn't realize he MUST have one run and that his girls can't hit. He holds girls at third on singles instead of making them get thrown out at the plate. He obviously doesn't teach the girls to bunt -- not one of them can bunt. As for Kelly, she is stubborn as well. Why let their best hitter beat you. Pitch around her. I was thoroughly pissed about that loss but it's been that way all year.
 

oxking

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Just watched the heavily edited post game press conference.

Q: Why didn't Carraway bunt?

A: "Jade can't bunt."
None of them can bunt. Walton doesn't teach bunting, obviously, or hitting in general, it seems. Perish the thought that he would at least teach one of those girls that never see the field to bunt, but no, he leaves the hapless Jade in, one of the worst slappers I've ever seen, flail away.
 
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oxking

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She didn’t even need to bunt. All she had to do was pull a ground ball to the right side of the infield and the runner would have been on 3rd. Credit the pitcher for throwing her away so she’d hit it opposite field, but Carraway should have adjusted her swing to pull it.
That's the rub. Caraway only hits to her left and usually it's a pop up to 3rd or left field. She has little bat control and was the worst option. You can't credit every pitcher that she'd faced all year.
 
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oxking

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So considering our entire team had exactly one base hit with runners on base (and it was a weak seeing eye single), at what point would a sac bunt have made a difference?
In the bottom of the 7th, that point in the game.

If a sack bunt had moved the batter over to 2nd and 3rd with one out, Jordan Mathews' grounder to 2nd would have scored the runner on 3rd, and at least tied the game. You never know, this OSU defense has been known to boo boo and maybe both would have scored on a throwing error. We'll never know because Walton never puts pressure on the defense. He's Clueless when it comes to small ball.
 

Ocalaman

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In the bottom of the 7th, that point in the game.

If a sack bunt had moved the batter over to 2nd and 3rd with one out, Jordan Mathews' grounder to 2nd would have scored the runner on 3rd, and at least tied the game. You never know, this OSU defense has been known to boo boo and maybe both would have scored on a throwing error. We'll never know because Walton never puts pressure on the defense. He's Clueless when it comes to small ball.
Totally agree with your assessment of the bottom of the 7th. You have to put a girl up to bat who can at least give a valid attempt to get a sac. bunt down. I don't agree that Tim Walton is clueless. I think he's just stubborn in that area and it's cost him a few games over the years, but especially this year when we've scratched for runs and can't rely on slugging our way to wins.
 

diehardg8r

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Totally agree with your assessment of the bottom of the 7th. You have to put a girl up to bat who can at least give a valid attempt to get a sac. bunt down. I don't agree that Tim Walton is clueless. I think he's just stubborn in that area and it's cost him a few games over the years, but especially this year when we've scratched for runs and can't rely on slugging our way to wins.
I actually agree with stubborn...........to a fault.
 

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