Gators Clinch WCWS with 5–2 Victory Over Georgia in Super Regional Finale

Gainesville –  The Florida Gators secured their spot in the 2025 Women’s College World Series with a decisive 5–2 win over SEC rival Georgia on Sunday afternoon at Katie Seashole Pressly Softball Stadium in Gainesville. This victory capped a thrilling three-game series, with Florida advancing 2–1.

How they did it

Despite taking a 1–0 lead in the first inning, the Gators left multiple runners stranded, continuing a pattern from their previous game where they left 13 on base.

In the first inning, Shumaker’s single to center field and Kendra Falby dashed to home to secure a point on the board. However, a double play and a subsequent groundout left the bases loaded, preventing further scoring. The Bulldogs managed to escape the inning with minimal damage, trailing 1–0.

The following innings mirrored the earlier struggles. In the second, the Gators left two runners on base; in the third, they loaded the bases again but failed to capitalize; and after a 71-minute weather delay in the fourth.

However, the fifth inning brought a change. Rylee Holtorf, the No. 9 hitter, broke her 1-for-12 slump with a solo home run, extending the lead to 3–0. After Falby drew a two-out walk, Taylor Shumaker followed with a towering homer over the right-field fence, increasing the lead to 5–0. This was Shumaker’s 22nd home run of the season, the most ever by any freshman in program history, and her first homer of this series. 

The Gators’ offense finally capitalized on their opportunities, securing a 5–0 lead and shifting momentum in their favor.

In the final innings, the Bulldogs responded with two home runs, but those homers were not enough to secure a spot in Oklahoma.

HEADED BACK TO THE SHOW ‼️ pic.twitter.com/4s7wU8Wema

— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) May 25, 2025

Up Next

With the win, Florida (48–15) advances to the Women’s College World Series, opening against sixth-seeded Texas (51–11) on Thursday at noon ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN. The Longhorns defeated Clemson in their three-game Austin Super Regional. Earlier this season, Texas won two of three games in its regular-season SEC series in Gainesville.