No. 10 Florida Softball Knocks Down No. 5 LSU

The No. 10 Florida Gators softball team rallied in the sixth inning Saturday to beat No. 5 LSU, 4-2, at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

While the Gators (33-5, 8-2 SEC) proved their abilities on the field, their connections off the field made this game a little more special, according to the team.

So close, so far

Keagan Rothrock (17-3) continued to succeed in the circle, throwing a no-hitter through 6.1 innings. While LSU’s batters pushed across three singles, Keagan relied on the defense behind her to catch any stray grounders.

Her 1.41 ERA continues to drop as her number of complete games increases. Though, she only had one strikeout, a rare occurrence for the strikeout-dominant pitcher.

Rothrock continues to prove that the game against Mississippi State was a blip in the story she continues to write. As for any adjustments for a potential start in the series finale Monday, Rothrock said the following in the post-game news conference:

Incredible catch, @Wallace2Skylar 🤯

📺 ESPN | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/CbaA8h5QaC

— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) April 6, 2024

Closing it down

Reagan Walsh continued to smash her previous year’s home run total. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Walsh bounced a foul ball against her ankle. She shook it off and launched the ball over the left field fence, breaking the close game open with the three-run home run.

REAGAN WALSH!!!

Three-run homer for the lead 👏

📺 ESPN | @ReaganWalsh17 pic.twitter.com/hXp18SRNvV

— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) April 6, 2024

A yellow day at the ballpark

While the Gators pushed across RBIs, there was a common motivation: Hartley Georges.

Georges is an 8-year-old girl with medulloblastoma, a brain tumor that starts in the cerebellum (the part of the brain that controls coordination). She joined the Gators as an honorary member in November of  2018.

The tradition of wearing yellow uniform accents and sunflowers started after the death of Heather Braswell, the honorary member of the Gators softball team in 2009-2014.

However, her impact has touched both older and younger student-athletes. Walsh discussed the importance of the team’s win regarding Georges and Braswell’s family:

Georges threw out the first pitch alongside Heather Braswell’s mom. And at the end of the postgame news conference, she hugged Walsh.

“I think it’s great that we take a day out of the year to honor them. I think every Saturday is special for us. Just representing them and playing for them. It’s just been so fun,” Rothrock said

Up Next

The Gators continue the series against LSU (30-6, 8-5) starting at 1 p.m. Sunday. It will also be broadcast live on ESPN2.

WINNING MOOD 💥#GoGators | Presented by @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/kviNRoUHAp

— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) April 6, 2024