Gators Softball Dominant at South Carolina Series
No. 7 Florida softball continued its dominance at the South Carolina Softball Complex on Sunday to complete the sweep of South Carolina with a 6-1 win.
Two days after no-hitting the Gamecocks, Gators ace Keagan Rothrock got her second start of the weekend and continued to limit South Carolina (23-20, 3-12 SEC).
Rothrock (21-4) allowed four hits, one run with six strikeouts in 5.2 innings. The junior threw 223 pitches and struck out 14 batters throughout the series.
Florida’s (40-5, 14-4) bats picked up where it left off after a dominant run-rule victory Saturday. Taylor Shumaker led off the game with a double and Jocelyn Erickson immediately scored her with an RBI single.
Cassidy McLellan continued her hot streak in the Palmetto State with a double in the second inning. The junior has been on fire at the plate against the Gamecocks, batting .833 with a home run, a double, two walks and seven RBIs.
South Carolina figured out how to slow down the Gators offense, now allowing any runs in the second and third inning. This allowed the Gamecocks to tie the game at 1-1 off a Karley Shelton moonshot to right field in the third.
Florida’s bats caught fire once again in the fourth inning, Madison Walker doubled down the left field line to score Kendall Grover, and in the next at-bat, Gabi Comia reached on a throwing error that scored McLellan, making it 3-1.
The Gators put the cherry on top in the fifth inning. After loading the bases, Grover roped a ball to left center, the three-RBI double cleared the bases and gave Florida a commanding 6-1 lead.
Rothrock was relieved by Olivia Miller in the fifth inning and Miller made quick work of the Gamecocks on the way to the series sweep. The junior pitched 1.1 innings and allowed two hits.
Although Miller did not strike out any batters, her defense had her back, as Florida turned its fourth double play of the series in the seventh.
The road series sweep was the Gators third of the season and their fifth overall SEC series win.
The Gators will return to Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium to face Florida Gulf Coast (15-25) at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Category: Feature Sports News, Gator Sports, Gators Softball
