Florida Gators shortstop Skylar Wallace (17) is congratulated after tagging Baylor Bears outfielder Taylor Strain (2) out at second in the bottom of the fourth. The Florida Gator softball team played the Baylor Bears at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium on Friday. The Gators took the first game 4-2 in the NCAA Super Regionals. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]

NCAA Gainesville Super Regional: Gators Advance To Women’s College World Series

Jackson Colding May 26, 2024 College Softball, Feature Sports News, Gators Softball, Gators Sports, NCAA, NCAA Tournament, SEC, Softball 256 Views

The No. 4 national seed Florida Gators softball team beat the unseeded Baylor Bears 5-3 on Sunday at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium to win the NCAA Gainesville Super Regional 2-1.

The Gators (51-13) used timely hitting to beat the Bears (36-23) and advance to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City for the 12th time in program history, all under coach Tim Walton.

“Nobody goes and competes like we do for the SEC with no returning pitchers,” Walton said.

Gators’ Offense Starts Fast

After UF starter Keagan Rothrock (30-7) got out of the top of the first with no runs, the Gators scored first for the first time this weekend.

In the bottom of the first, Jocelyn Erickson hit a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0. This was her 80th RBI of the season to tie the UF single-season record. Reagan Walsh followed with a RBI single to make it 2-0.

The Gators continued to swing well in the second to chase Baylor starter RyLee Crandall (17-9) after one and one-third innings. Mia Williams hit a two-run home run (her 6th) to make it 4-0.

The Gators did not score again until the fifth. After the Bears got three runs back, Ariel Kowalewski hit a sacrifice fly to make it 5-3.

“Every time we come in after the top half of the first inning, we say ‘Get on top’, that’s our little chant,” Skylar Wallace said.

Rothrock Rebounds

Rothrock rebounded from her short outing Saturday.

She gave up three runs (two earned) on eight hits. She struck out three batters and walked two in her 24th complete game of the season.

Baylor scored their first run on a Sydney Collazos RBI single to make it 4-1 in the fourth. Emily Hott hit a two-run home run to make it 4-3 in the fifth.

“One of the biggest things that helped, me and coach (Chesley) Dobbins met this morning to look after those first three batters because that’s where I have had the most struggles this weekend,” Rothrock said.

Up Next

The Gators will take on the fifth-seeded Oklahoma State Cowgirls (49-10) at 9:30 p.m. ET Thursday (ESPN2) in the Women’s College World Series. OSU defeated Arizona in two games at the Stillwater (Okla.) Super Regional.

Along with Oklahoma State, Florida is in the same half of the bracket as top-seeded Texas (52-8) and eight seed Stanford (48-15).

The Cowgirls defeated the Gators 3-0 at Pressly Stadium in an impromptu Monday night game (Feb. 19). The game was not on the original schedule, but after two of OSU’s games at the Clearwater Invitational were canceled due to weather, the Cowgirls and Gators agreed to the contest.

This is the first time the Gators will play in the eight-team field at OGE Energy Field at Devon Park since 2022. And they seek their third national title in program history.

“This team has just embodied the culture of Florida softball, we are a hard-working team that is not going to take anything from anybody,” Walton said.

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About Jackson Colding

Jackson Colding is a second-year journalism sports and media student at the University of Florida.

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