GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 11 Florida softball team opened the series with a 2-1 victory over No. 8 Texas A&M late Friday afternoon at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
The Gators (41-12, 15-7 SEC) defeated the Aggies (39-10, 15-7 SEC) in a pitchers' duel between freshman
Keagan Rothrock (22-5) and Emiley Kennedy (20-8). Rothrock limited TAMU to just five hits and a pair of walks, while also striking out five in the complete-game effort.
Texas A&M broke the scoring open in the top of the second inning and took an early 1-0 lead on an Allie Enright single to left field that scored Trinity Cannon from second base. Cannon reached earlier in the frame via a one out full-count walk.
Despite issuing seven walks in the game, Kennedy held the Gators hitless through four innings, but the offense sparked a rally in the bottom of the fifth and strung together four consecutive hits in addition to a SAC fly.
Korbe Otis sparked the rally as the speedster produced an infield single and advanced to second after her speed forced an errant throw to first.
Skylar Wallace stepped to the plate and then ripped the 2-1 offering from Kennedy to the right center field gap for an RBI double that scored Otis from second to tie the game 1-1.
Jocelyn Erickson followed with an infield single and
Reagan Walsh lasered a single to left field to load the bases with one out.
Ava Brown drove in the game winning run and gave UF the lead 2-1 when she scored Wallace from third on a SAC fly to deep right field.
With the lead in hand, Rothrock held Texas A&M scoreless for the final two frames to secure the win. The Whiteland, Ind., native also received support from the defense behind her in the top of the sixth. A bunt single to lead off the inning eventually turned into a double play as
Katie Kistler reeled in a fly ball to right field in the next at-bat and threw out Koko Wooley, who was trying to tag and take second base on the play.
The Aggies would eventually put the tying run on base once more in the sixth and once in the seventh, but Rothrock and the Gators buckled down to secure the victory.
Game two of the series between Florida and Texas A&M is set for Saturday, May 4, at 2 p.m. ET and the program will honor the 2024 senior class prior to the start of the game.
Notables:
- Keagan Rothrock picked up her 18th complete game effort of the season and is now 22-6 on the year.
- Korbe Otis extended her hit-streak out to 13 games with her infield single in the fifth inning and she has also reached base safely over the last 13 games.
- Skylar Wallace ripped her team leading 14th double of the season in the top of the fifth inning and now has a three-game hit streak.
- Jocelyn Erickson also singled in the fifth inning and has a five-game hit streak and a seven-game reached base safely streak.
- Reagan Walsh's single in the fifth extended her hit-streak out to a season long 10 games and has a reached base safely streak of 20 games, which is the longest streak by any Gator this season.
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