Florida Softball Rout Forces Winner-Take-All Game 3 vs. Texas Tech

With her college career on the line, a weather delay did not stop Jocelyn Erickson from delivering in the biggest moment of Florida’s season at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

The senior went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs, powering Florida to a 10-2 victory over Texas Tech on Saturday to force a decisive Game 3 in the NCAA Super Regional.

Keagan Rothrock made her fifth straight start in the circle, and the junior continued to handle the heavy workload. Rothrock (30-6) tossed her 20th complete game of the season, allowing five hits and two runs while striking out five.

“She doesn’t make the moment bigger than it is,” Madison Walker said. “She’s doing her job, pitch after pitch, and she’s trying to make every pitch the best that she possibly can.”

After a heartbreaking loss in Friday’s opener, Florida wasted no time setting the tone as the designated away team on the scoreboard. Taylor Shumaker drew a leadoff walk off Nijaree Canady, and Erickson brought the packed crowd to its feet with a two-run homer to left-center on the first pitch she saw.

“They brought the energy today, the fans really make a difference,” Florida coach Tim Walton said.

Canady recovered from the early homer and struck out the next three batters to end the inning.

Florida’s All-American duo struck again in the third. Shumaker ripped a double down the right-field line before Erickson drove her home with an RBI single to extend the lead to 3-0. The run tied Skylar Wallace’s single-season program record with Shumaker’s 90th run scored.

Texas Tech answered in the bottom half of the inning after Rothrock hit the first two batters she faced. Ella Wesolowski made a strong defensive play in right field to record the first out, but Hailey Toney advanced to third on the play before Jasmyn Burns cut the deficit to 3-1 with a sacrifice fly.

Florida’s offense stayed hot with a two-out rally in the fourth. Kenleigh Cahalan bounced back from a difficult Game 1 with a double into the gap, and Walker continued her dominant postseason by blasting a two-run homer over the bullpen to give Florida a 5-1 lead.

Walker’s homer was her 10th of the season, making Florida the first team in program history to have seven players reach double-digit home runs in a single season.

Canady’s outing ended after allowing the second home run of the game. The senior pitched 3 2/3 innings, surrendering five runs on five hits while striking out five.

Texas Tech continued to battle in the bottom of the fourth. Mihyia Davis and Lauren Allred opened the inning with a single and double before pinch hitter Logan Halleman drove in Davis on a fielder’s choice to make it 5-2.

The Red Raiders threatened again after Mia Williams was hit by a pitch for the fourth time in the Super Regional, loading the bases. Rothrock responded by striking out Jackie Lis before Burns flew out deep to right field.

Florida broke the game open in the fifth with another two-out rally. Cahalan delivered an RBI single into shallow right field to score two runs and push the lead to 7-2. Walker followed with a blooper into right field that resulted in a costly error, allowing another run to score. Wesolowski capped the four-run inning with an RBI double that plated pinch runner Cassidy McLellan and extended Florida’s lead to 9-2.

The Gators have scored 13 of their 17 runs in the Super Regional with two outs.

“We got exposed,” Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco said. “Our defense got exposed. They couldn’t defend.”

Texas Tech entered the seventh inning needing another late comeback, but Florida’s defense closed the door this time. Rothrock allowed a leadoff hit before striking out Desirae Spearman. The Gators retired the final two batters to seal the run-rule victory and force a winner-take-all Game 3.

“We didn’t play defense at all today. Florida didn’t play defense yesterday, but they sure played today,” Glasco said. “Both days the team that played the best defense won the game.”

It marks the fourth straight Super Regional in which Florida has faced a win-or-go-home game.

First pitch for Game 3 is still to be determined.

“We’re just trying to go out there and play for that little girl who grew up playing softball,” Erickson said.

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