An old family grudge resurfaced Monday in an unlikely place — a college softball handshake line.
After Auburn defeated Florida 1-0 in Gainesville, the SEC foes lined up for the customary postgame handshake. When Auburn senior Haley Fagan approached Florida coach Tim Walton, she appeared to drop her hand — but Walton followed through anyway, pushing Fagan pretty firmly on the shoulder.
Fagan took exception and pushed back, and things escalated from there.
So, what’s the deal here? As it turns out, Fagan’s two older sisters, Sami and Kasey, played softball at Florida under Walton, but the Gators coached dismissed both players from the team in 2012 after an “altercation.”
Perhaps Haley Fagan wanted to show solidarity with her sisters by denying their former coach a handshake. But Walton wasn’t having it, and the result was a pretty bizarre confrontation between player and coach. In fact, Fagan had to be restrained by her teammates after the incident, as she continued to have words with Walton and several Florida players before being led off the field.
The No. 1 Gators and No. 6 Tigers are two of the best teams in the country, so these squads could meet again in postseason play. If that happens, expect all eyes to be on Walton and Fagan.
