Florida Softball Rolls Through Day 1 of Florida Tournament
The No. 4 Florida Gators stayed unbeaten on Friday, starting the Florida Tournament with a double-header sweep against Longwood (1-9) and Middle Tennessee (3-8).
Gators softball (16-0) made quick work of the Lancers and Blue Raiders, beating both in five innings. Florida will be in action again on Saturday with games against Lindenwood and Longwood (again).
Game 2 vs. Middle Tennessee
Freshman Leah Stevens dominated in the circle and Gabi Comia kept her recent form as the Gators beat the Blue Raiders 8-0.
In the second start of her career, Stevens pitched her first complete game. In five innings, she allowed only one hit, with five strikeouts and one walk.
Florida wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, but in an unusual way. The Gators picked up a 3-0 lead without a single hit, but four walks in their first five batters. And Comia got the Gators first hit with an RBI single to make it 4-0 in the bottom of the first.
Every single Gator batter had a turn at the plate in the first inning, showing the power of this offense.
Catcher Ella Wesolowski gave the Gators their first run of the third inning with a sacrifice fly to make it a 5-0 lead. Comia followed her up with an RBI double to score another run to end the third inning.
After Wesolowski scored on a throwing error, Comia kept it up, going 3-for-3 and scoring the game-winning run on a Taylor Shumaker bomb into the left field gap.
The Gators showed no mercy to the Blue Raiders in their first meeting ever, and remain undefeated entering Day 2 of the Florida Tournament.
Game 1 vs. Longwood
Taylor Shumaker and Keagan Rothrock headlined a dominant 10-0 win by the Gators against Longwood.
The sophomore outfielder had 4 RBIs and two home runs — her fifth and sixth of the season — in the early game on Friday.
For star pitcher Keagan Rothrock, No. 7, it was all about the number seven. She threw seven strikeouts in her seventh start of the season as she earned her seventh win.
Shortstop Kenleigh Cahalan got the scoring started for Florida in the first with a single to right field, bringing in Taylor Shumaker, who Longwood starting pitcher Cierra Gawryluk walked to lead off the game. Cahalan also added to her homer total, hitting a solo shot in the third.
The Gators sealed the fate of the Lancers when they batted around in the second inning and scored six times. Three of Florida’s six runs came off the bat of Shumaker, who hit her fifth homer of the season to right field. Shumaker then hit her second long ball of the day just an inning later.
Katelynn “Red” Oxley relieved Rothrock in the fourth, holding Longwood scoreless and striking out three of eight batters faced.
The Gators will play two more games on Saturday, first against Lindenwood (6-4) at 2 p.m. and a rematch with Longwood at 4:30.
Category: Feature Sports News, Gator Sports, Gators Softball
