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The 10th-ranked Florida Gators softball team defeated the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles 9-0 in five innings Wednesday at the FGCU Softball Complex. The Gators recorded their nation-leading 17th shutout of the season.
Home runs were the main source of offense for the Gators (26-4).
MIDWEEK SHUTOUT ✅#GoGators | Presented by @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/3gca05AHrL
— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) March 20, 2024
Home Runs Lead the Way
The Gators hit two home runs to lead them over FGCU (20-11), accounting for six of the runs. The first home run was a grand slam by Skylar Wallace in the top of the second to make it 5-0.
Cassidy McLellan’s RBI walk to open the scoring and Kendra Falby’s flyout left the bases loaded for Wallace with two outs. Facing one ball and two strikes, she hit the grand slam to right-center to give the Gators much-needed separation.
GRAND SLAM!@Wallace2Skylar clears the bases ✈️
📺 ESPN+ | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/MAIchTZl3W
— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) March 20, 2024
Reagan Walsh’s team-leading 10th home run in the fifth made it 9-0 to secure the 21st run-rule victory for the Gators. She ended the game with three RBIs. Her first RBI came in the fourth inning off a sacrifice fly to make it 6-0.
Crushed to left field 💣
Two-run HR from @ReaganWalsh17!
📺 ESPN+ | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/IWzdVmib3P
— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) March 20, 2024
Kendra Falby hit an RBI double in the fourth inning to make it 7-0. Katie Kistler also shined in this game with three hits.
RBI double for @kfalby7 ✌️
📺 ESPN+ | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/3EAup5Vvcq
— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) March 20, 2024
Pitching Remains Steady
Keagan Rothrock, Ava Brown and Olivia Miller combined for the four-hit shutout. Rothrock (12-3) started the game and pitched three innings of three-hit softball. She struck out two batters and walked one.
Brown pitched the next inning and two-thirds and struck out two batters. She only gave up one hit. Miller came in to record the final out of the game on a grounder.
FINAL: The Gators notch their 21st run-rule and nation's leading 17th shutout of the season!
Gators 9 | Eagles 0
— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) March 20, 2024
Florida’s Road Ahead
The Gators start a three-game series against No. 23 Kentucky at 6 p.m. Friday at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.
