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The No. 12 Florida Gators softball team beat the No. 11 Georgia Bulldogs 10-7 Sunday to take the series at Jack Turner Softball Stadium in Athens, Ga.
The Gators (39-12, 14-7 SEC) scored seven runs in the seventh inning. Jocelyn Erickson hit a go-ahead three-run home run with the Gators down to their final strike to give them a 6-4 lead.
COMEBACK SERIES WIN‼️#GoGators | Presented by @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/2ITPnWURuT
— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) April 28, 2024
Gators Strike First
Florida opened the scoring in the second inning. Ava Brown hit a solo home run, her 12th of the season, to give them a 1-0 lead. It was her second straight game of the series with a home run.
Crushed 🚀@avajbrownn with the home run!
📺 ESPN 2 | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/at8DtK831V
— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) April 28, 2024
Pitching Struggles Continue
Florida starter Keagan Rothrock (20-6) gave up seven runs in seven innings. The Bulldogs (37-13, 11-10) were able to score 18 runs on Florida pitching in the final two games of the series. UF won the first game Friday 9-1 via run-rule before losing Game 2 Saturday, 11-6.
Sara Mosley tied the game in the fourth with a solo home run. Sarah Gordon gave Georgia the lead in the fifth inning with a solo home run and Jayda Kearney hit a two-run double to give the Bulldogs a 4-1 lead. Kearney hit a three-run home run in the seventh to conclude the scoring for UGA.
🚧 get that ball a hard hat 👷♀️
Bottom 5️⃣
🐊 1
🐶 2🖥 https://t.co/v8HKSdypKJ (ESPN2)
📈 https://t.co/OQElGnGwBm#Team28 | #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/rKtJcXXbvG— Georgia Softball (@UGASoftball) April 28, 2024
Late-Game Heroics
In the sixth, Brown and Ariel Kowalewski each hit sacrifice flies to cut the deficit to 4-3. The seventh inning is when Florida did the most damage.
The Gators scored seven runs in the inning. The Gators used back-to-back home runs and a bases-clearing triple to plate the seven runs. Erickson hit a three-run home run (her 10th) with Florida down to their final strike to make it 6-4. Reagan Walsh followed with a home run (16th) to center field to make it 7-4. Katie Kistler hit a bases-clearing triple after three walks to give Florida a 10-4 lead.
Shelby Walters (8-6) was charged with the loss after giving up five runs (none earned).
IT'S GONE!!!
Big time homer from @joceyerickson 😮💨
📺 ESPN 2 | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/Y3YFdqTdj1
— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) April 28, 2024
Up Next
The Gators travel to Tallahassee for a game Wednesday against the No. 16 FSU Seminoles (40-10, 18-3 ACC), who run-ruled UF last Wednesday 12-3 (five innings) at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
First pitch is at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on the ACC Network and air on ESPN 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF.
