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The 14th-ranked Florida Gators defeated the Colgate Raiders 13-1 and the Lafayette Leopards 16-0 in a Friday afternoon softball sweep.
The Gators started the T-Mobile Tournament strong at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. Keagan Rothrock (5-2) threw a no-hitter in the second game.
How 'bout those Gatorsđ#GoGators | Presented by @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/w76HI4djKa
— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) February 24, 2024
Gators Jump Out Early on Raiders
The Gators (12-2) defeated the Raiders 13-1 in the first game of the rain-delayed doubleheader, and 11 of the runs came in the first inning.
B1 | A lot happened in the bottom of the first inning, with five hits, two home runs, and six walks.
UF 11 | Colgate 0
— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) February 23, 2024
Skylar Wallace and Jocelyn Erickson each hit an RBI single to plate the first two runs for Florida. The next six runs for the Gators scored off a hit and back-to-back home runs by Korbe Otis and Jocelyn Erickson for an 11-0 lead.
Emily Wilkie hit an RBI double in the second inning and Kendra Falby reached on an error to finish the scoring for the Gators.
Olivia Miller (2-0) picked up the win. She allowed one run on four hits and she struck out one batter. The only run for Colgate came on a double from Elizabeth Nitka.
Great start to the T-Mobile Tournamentđ#GoGators | Presented by @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/OlSLffPzZI
— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) February 23, 2024
Rothrock Silences Leopards
Rothrock struck out 13 batters in her no-hitter to lead the Gators to the 16-0 win.
Erickson, the UF catcher, said the chemistry between her and Rothrock starts off the field.
Patient Hitting Helps Gators
Patience at the plate paid dividends for the Gators in game two. The Gators did not put the ball in play on seven of the 16 runs they scored. Whether it was a hit by pitch, a wild pitch or a walk, the Gators were patient at the plate.
Erickson said being patient at the plate was something the Gators emphasized.
The Gators hit two home runs in the second game.
First, Reagan Walsh hit a three-run home run in the first. Ariel Kowalewski hit a two-run home run in the second inning to make the game 12-0.
B2 | Kowalewski belts a two-run HOME RUN to center!
UF 12 | Lafayette 0
— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) February 24, 2024
Erickson hit a two-run double, Katie Kistler hit a sacrifice fly and Cassidy McLellan hit an RBI double to close out the scoring.
The Rest Of The Tournament
The Gators take on the same two teams Saturday. They play Lafayette at 12:30 p.m. and Colgate at 3. They take on the University of Illinois at Chicago Flames on Sunday morning at 11:30.
