Desiderio’s Heroics Propel Florida Softball Past Florida State
The trend of the unsung hero continued at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium on Tuesday night when the game was tied 3-3 with two outs in the fifth inning.
The hero? Giulia Desiderio.
No. 9 Florida gain redemption, 4-3, against No. 10 Florida State in the regular-season finale at home, just six days after the Seminoles beat them in Tallahassee.
Instead of turning to Keagan Rothrock, Florida coach Tim Walton gave Olivia Miller the start in the circle, her second in a row after shutting out UCF on Saturday in a near perfect game.
Miller’s day was short-lived as she pitched 3.1 innings, allowing five hits, two runs, three walks with one strikeout.
Florida State (43-8) got out to a blistering start in the second, loading the bases with no outs. Hayley Griggs scored one on an RBI single and Isa Torres scored another on a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0, however poor base running by Griggs got her out at third and ended the inning.
The Gators defense continued to stay on fire, notching their 20th double play of the season with a 6-4-3 twin killing in the third.
Florida (46-7) made sure to reply back in the third. Gabi Comia drew a leadoff walk and Taylor Shumaker drove her in from first with a double deep into center field. Townsen Thomas followed a big five-RBI night against UCF as she tied it at 2-all with an RBI single.
“Townsen Thomas is having one of the best freshman seasons,” Walton said. “It’s hard to be a freshman, and she’s doing a really good job. She’s getting better and better and more confident.”
After putting runners in scoring position with one out, Miller’s day ended when Rothrock entered the circle. Heading into Tuesday’s matchup, the Seminoles had the junior’s number as they had scored 16 runs off Florida’s ace in 17 innings.
Rothrock (25-5) made sure to flip the script this night and in 3.2 innings pitched she allowed two hits, one run and struck out two.
Florida’s bats came alive in the fourth inning, when it loaded the bases with no outs looking to do some damage. Ella Wesolowski gave the Gators their first lead with an RBI single that scored Kenleigh Cahalan. However, that was it for Florida when Comia and Jocelyn Erickson both struck out.
The Seminoles would not take that lightly as in the fifth they loaded the bases with no outs through an uncharacteristic Erickson error, a hit by pitch and a single. Anna Hinde made it 3-3 with a sacrifice fly that scored Torres, but the next two batters also flew out to end the threat.
“You’re probably the best hitter in the country, and you hit two home runs [last week] and good for you, but I’m gonna get you out this week,” Rothrock said about Torres.
Right after Florida State tied it, the Gators answered behind an unfamiliar hitter. Pinch hitter Desiderio lined the first pitch she saw into left center field for her first RBI of the season to score Cahalan and make it 4-3.
“It means a lot. It’s against our rival, so it’s a big game,” Desiderio said. “So just being able to do that and be there for my team was good.”
In the seventh, Thomas called game. With the Gators one out away from victory, the redshirt freshman made a diving catch of a rapidly falling Anna Hinde liner to left field to end the game. The out was confirmed after video review.
“The coolest thing to see is where Thomas was after the first week of the season to where she’s at right now. She’s made probably the biggest jump in all phases of the game,” Walton said.
The Gators got their first home victory against the Seminoles since a 5-0 win in 2021 and split the season series.
Florida (16-5 SEC) heads to its last conference series of the season, a matchup against another rival and another ranked opponent in No. 13 Georgia (34-16, 10-11). Game 1 is set for 6 p.m. Thursday (SEC Network+).
The SEC Tournament is for May 5-9 in Lexington, Ky.
Category: Feature Sports News, Gator Sports, Gators Softball
