No. 4 Florida Softball Survives Florida Gulf Coast
Down 5-4 in the fourth inning and a perfect record against in-state opponents on the line Wednesday, Taylor Shumaker showed why she is one of the best hitters in the nation.
The sophomore hit a home run to center field to tie the game and give the Gators the spark they needed to get past FGCU at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
“Nobody ever wants to fall behind. Getting a good swing on a ball is always good, but I’m just trying to put my team in a good position to win,” Shumaker said.
No. 4 Florida improved to 11-0 against state rivals with a 9-6 win against Florida Gulf Coast.
Katelynn Oxley got the start in the circle for the Gators and it was not the best of outings for the sophomore. Oxley allowed four hits, five runs, two walks and no strikeouts in three innings pitched.
Florida (41-5, 14-4 SEC) wasted no time getting on the board. Kenleigh Cahalan reached first on a throwing error that allowed Shumaker to score the first run of the day. Kendall Grover went on to score Jocelyn Erickson with an RBI single, making it 2-0.
Florida Gulf Coast (15-26, 9-5 ASUN) did not make it easy for the Gators. In the second inning, the Eagles equalized it with a Nikki Gibson two-run homer to left field that went just off the pole.
The Gators quickly responded in the latter half of the inning. Erickson scored Cassidy McLellan with a sacrifice fly. Florida’s bats stayed hot after that, as Cahalan got her second RBI of the night to make it 4-2. The Gators loaded the bases, but could not capitalize as a pitching change got FGCU out of the inning.
Without ace Keagan Rothrock in the circle, Florida’s pitching has struggled and it showed against the Eagles. In the fourth, FGCU went on a three-run rally with no outs.
Ally Thompson got the scoring started for the Eagles with an RBI double into right field that just stayed fair. Olivia Miller came in for Oxley to get the Gators out of the inning. Nikki Gibson got her third RBI of the night to tie the game and Kiki Daniels gave the Eagles a 5-4 lead with an RBI single.
The Gators answered when Shumaker hit her 14th homer of the season, a solo shot out of the stadium. Grover got her second RBI and gave Florida the lead with a sacrifice fly that scored Erickson, making it 6-5 in the fourth.
McLellan extended Florida’s lead in the fifth with a solo homer to make it 7-5. Cahalan kept the RBIs coming and got her third of the night, scoring Shumaker. Townsen Thomas capped off a three-run inning for the Gators with an RBI single that made it 9-5.
Although Miller (7-0) allowed two early hits, giving the Eagles the lead, she dialed in and retired the last six batters she faced in order.
Freshman pitcher Leah Stevens close it out in the seventh. After striking out the leadoff batter, Stevens walked two in a row prompting Florida coach Tim Walton to bring on Rothrock.
The junior didn’t get the Gators out unscathed as with the bases loaded Mackenzie Leiti scored one with a sac fly. Rothrock struck out the final batter for her fourth save of the season.
“We need another pitcher to step up if we’re gonna make a run in the postseason, it can’t be one,” Walton said about the decision to bring on Stevens in the last inning.
Florida faces Auburn in its last home SEC series this weekend. Game 1 is set for Friday 6 p.m.
Category: Feature Sports News, Gator Sports, Gators Softball
