Just Enough For Gator Softball

Keagan Rothrock pitched an outstanding game of her own and was able to work around a lead-off single in the 7th to shut the door on the Bulldogs and get the win.

The Florida Gator softball team did just enough this past weekend to take the series from a scrappy Mississippi State Bulldog team 2-1. 

MSU pitcher Peja Goold tossed a complete game one hitter and lost! The Gator offense was held hitless through the first 5 innings on Friday night after a two-hour weather delay.

In the bottom of the sixth both Taylor Shumaker and Gabi Comia had grounded out. Goold walked Jocelyn Erickson on four straight pitches. With a 1-2 count on her, Kenleigh Cahalan delivered a day early birthday present to herself when she blasted the pitch from Goold over the right-center field wall for the only Gator hit of the game to give them a 2-0 lead.

Keagan Rothrock pitched an outstanding game of her own and was able to work around a lead-off single in the 7th to shut the door on the Bulldogs and get the win.

The Gators dropped the Sunflower Saturday game by a score of 9-5 to even the series. Katelynn Oxley suffered her first loss of the season. She gave up 2 runs through 4 innings. Allison Sparkman and Leah Stevens were unable to keep the Bulldog offense in check giving up 3 runs each. Olivia Miller finishedthe game with the last 1.2 innings and also gave up a run. The Gators failed to score in the first four innings. They pulled to within 2 runs with a four spot in the fifth but were unable to rally after giving up three runs in the top of the sixth. 

The Gators jumped on Bulldog starter Leila Ammon early in the rubber game of the series scoring 4 runs, three earned, in the first two innings. Florida led 1-0 after Taylor Shumaker scored on a Kenleigh Cahalan double in the first.

MSU tied the score of a home run in their half of the second. A single from Ava Brown, who returned from injury to play in this series, started the Gator offense in the second. A walk and an error allowed Kalie Matsuno who had entered as a pinch runner for Brown to score. A Comia bunt single marked the end of the day for the Bulldog starter.

Saturday’s starter for the Bulldogs, Alyssa Faircloth entered the circle. Shumaker singled to right to score Grover. Erickson delivered a sac fly to score Wesolowski who had reached on the error. Strike outs of Cahalan and Madison Walker would end the inning.

Rothrock would give up home runs number 2 and 3 on the day in the top of the 3rd inning to cut the score to 4-3. The score would remain the same until the top of the 7th. A lead-off walk and a wild pitch put the tying run at second with no outs. A ground ball to the second baseman allowed that runner to move to third with one out. A sac fly allowed the Bulldogs to tie the game at 4 each.

Taylor Shumaker was hit by a pitch with the count full to start the bottom of the seventh. Erickson was out on a fly to the left fielder. Cahalan singled to center field to move Shumaker to second. Giula Desiderio was inserted as a pinch hitter to replace Madison Walker. She delivered a single to left field to load the bases. Townsen Thomas hit a two hop ground ball to the left of the Bulldog shortstop who caught the ball and fired to the plate. Shumaker was just quick enough to beat the throw by inches. The call of safe was challenged and ultimately upheld to secure the walk-off victory by the Gators.

The Gators did just enough to win the series. Give the Bulldog pitchers some credit. They have great records and very low eras coming into the series and much the same as they head back to the Magnolia state. Some weekends are just like that. Especially in the middle of the conference season. To win the championship, you have to find a way to battle through and get the wins when you don’t play your best softball. That Gators did just that this past weekend.