Florida Softball’s Season Ends in Super Regional Slugfest vs. Texas Tech

Down 13-7 with the bases loaded in the fourth inning, Florida looked poised for another comeback.

But Texas Tech ace Nijaree Canady had other plans at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

The finale of the 2026 Gainesville Super Regional between Florida and Texas Tech turned into one of the wildest games of the season, as the two teams traded punches early before the Red Raiders pulled away for a 16-7 run-rule victory to advance to the Women’s College World Series.

Keagan Rothrock made her sixth straight start in the circle for Florida. The junior had pitched 26 innings over the previous 10 days entering Game 3.

Florida’s ace could not make it out of the second inning, allowing six hits and five runs while striking out two.

Texas Tech capitalized on a difficult opening inning for Florida. Rothrock hit Mia Williams with the first pitch of the game for the second time this series, marking the fifth time the former Gator had been hit by a pitch during the Super Regional. Jackie Lis followed with a double before Jasmyn Burns drove in Williams and Lis with a two-run single. Taylor Pannell later lined out to right field, but a Florida error allowed Hailey Toney to score and gave Texas Tech a 3-0 lead.

Florida responded immediately in the bottom half of the inning.

Taylor Shumaker drew a leadoff walk for the third time this series, and Jocelyn Erickson followed with a single. Ava Brown and Townsen Thomas were unable to bring home a run early in the frame, as Brown flew out to deep center field and Thomas lined out to right.

With two outs, the Gators came alive.

Kendall Grover ripped an RBI double into deep left-center field to score both Shumaker and Erickson. Kenleigh Cahalan continued her strong postseason with a two-run homer to left field, giving Florida a 4-3 lead.

Shumaker also broke Skylar Wallace’s single-season program record for runs scored with her 91st run of the season.

Madison Walker kept the momentum going with a double to deep center field before a weather delay temporarily halted the game.

When play resumed at 2:55 p.m. ET, Texas Tech wasted little time regaining control.

Logan Halleman drew a leadoff walk in the second inning before Williams silenced the crowd at KSP with a two-run homer that gave the Red Raiders a 5-4 lead. Mihyia Davis later walked, and Lis delivered again with a two-run homer to extend Texas Tech’s advantage to 7-4.

Once again, Florida answered.

Gabi Comia singled to lead off the inning, and Shumaker drew her second walk of the game. Brown then launched a three-run homer off Kaitlyn Terry — her second home run of the Super Regional — to tie the game at seven.

The slugfest continued in the third inning.

Pannell opened the frame with a solo homer to left field to put Texas Tech back in front, 8-7. Freshman Leah Stevens replaced Rothrock and struck out Canady to begin her outing, but Halleman and Davis reached base ahead of Lis, who crushed her second homer of the day, a three-run shot to center field that pushed the lead to 11-7.

This time, Florida could not answer back.

Canady retired the Gators in order in the bottom of the third before Texas Tech added to its lead in the fourth. Pannell hit her second homer of the game, a two-run blast off Stevens that extended the lead to 13-7 and ended the freshman’s day in the circle. Allison Sparkman entered in relief and recorded the final two outs of the inning.

Florida threatened in the bottom of the fourth, loading the bases with two outs and looking for another rally. However, Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco’s strategy of alternating between Canady and Terry paid off, as Canady escaped the jam to preserve the six-run lead.

Sparkman nearly held Texas Tech scoreless in the fifth inning, but with the bases loaded and two outs, Lauren Allred hit a ground ball to first base that resulted in an error on Erickson, allowing another run to score and extending the lead to 14-7.

The inning unraveled further for Florida as six consecutive Texas Tech batters reached base, including back-to-back RBI walks that pushed the lead to 16-7. Walton then turned to Katelynn Oxley, who recorded the final out of the inning when Desirae Spearman flew out to left field.

Tensions boiled over later in the inning when Walton was ejected for arguing a strike call during Cahalan’s at-bat.

In the final at-bat of the season, Comia grounded out to end Florida’s year.

Category: Feature Sports News, Gator Sports, Gators Softball