Florida Softball Plays Mercer For NCAA Gainesville Regional Trophy

Another NCAA Gainesville Regional game for the national third-seeded Florida Gators, another run-rule win Saturday at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

After opening with an 8-0 win Friday against Mercer in five innings, the Gators earned another five-inning decision in the second round by defeating Florida Atlantic 14-6.

The Gators (45-14) will play for the regional title Sunday at 1 p.m. (ESPN+) against Mercer (40-25), which won two games Saturday to advance from the loser’s bracket.

Mercer eliminated regional third seed Georgia Tech 7-3 Saturday afternoon before sending second-seeded Florida Atlantic home after a 7-0 win later Saturday. Former Gainesville High and P.K. Yonge standout Parris Wiggs had an RBI double against Georgia Tech and added a bases-clearing three-run double in the FAU win.

Florida junior Jocelyn Erickson smacked a walk-off grand slam and freshman Taylor Shumaker hit two homers in knocking FAU into the elimination round. Shumaker, who entered the day with 19 homers, now holds UF’s freshman single-season record for home runs at 21 after breaking Brittany Schutte’s 2010 mark with her first blast of the day. Shumaker is also one homer away from tying the single-season program record of 22 set by Schutte in 2011.

A win Sunday would allow the Gators to host the winner out of the Durham Regional hosted by No. 14-seed Duke (40-17) in the Super Regional next weekend. The Blue Devils are facing Georgia (33-20) in a 2:30 p.m. contest today needing to force the if-necessary game.