Florida Softball Run Rules Kentucky in Series Opener

After Florida men’s basketball got its third win of the season against the Wildcats in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals, No. 5 Florida softball followed up with a 10-2 win in six innings.

A seven-run sixth inning gave Florida (27-1, 4-0 SEC) the early victory in the series opener — its first time run-ruling an SEC opponent since LSU in 2025.

Keagan Rothrock started in the circle once again, after the junior made history last week as the first Florida pitcher to record all three wins in an SEC series since Hannah Rogers in 2011. Rothrock (15-1) pitched her eighth complete game of the season, allowing four hits, two runs with three strikeouts against the Wildcats.

Cassidy McLellan got the Gators started in the second inning with a two-run moonshot to left-center field, her first home run in two weeks, giving Florida an early 2-0 lead.

Madison Walker, the walk-off hero in Saturday’s extra inning matchup against the Tigers, kept the scoring going in the fifth fifth inning against Kentucky with a solo shot to left center to extend the lead to three. Later in the inning, Kentucky’s Carly Sleeman got one back for the Wildcats with a solo homer for the team’s only long ball of the game.

Jocelyn Erickson got a game-ending sixth inning started with her 14th home run of season to give Florida a 6-1 lead. Walker continued to rack up RBI’s with a sacrifice fly.

McLellan and Gabi Comia put the nail in the coffin for Kentucky (19-7, 1-3 SEC) with a two-RBI double for the left fielder and an RBI for Comia to score one to complete the seven-run frame.

The Wildcats tried to bounce back, scoring a run in the bottom of the sixth off Peyton Plotts’ RBI single, but their rally fell short.

The second game of the road series beginning at 12 p.m. Saturday.

Category: Gator Sports, Gators Softball