The Florida softball team headed on the road to face Florida State in a midweek matchup Wednesday. After falling to the Seminoles 12-3 in home territory, the Gators seeked revenge.
Both teams fought back-and-forth, but Florida had a 11-4 advantage going into the bottom of the sixth. Yet, with the stadium filled with rowdy Seminoles fans, Florida State used that to come back and tie the game at 13 forcing the game to extras.
In the top of the ninth, UF junior center fielder Kendra Falby continued her career night at the plate. Falby demolished the first pitch she saw to record the game winning solo home run.
In the bottom half of the inning, Falby turned a double play in center field to end the frame and earn Florida its rematch victory.
The Gators (40-12, 15-7 SEC) offensive surge defeated Florida State (40-11 18-3 SEC)15-13 to clinch a win at the Seminole Softball Complex.
Florida took the initial 2-0 lead in the first inning. Redshirt senior shortstop Skylar Wallace drew a two-out hit by pitch and sophomore catcher Jocelyn Erickson advanced her to third on a left-field single.
Junior infielder Reagan Walsh drove Wallace in with back-to-back singles, and on a throwing error from left field, Erickson scored the second run.
Florida State responded in the bottom half of the first. The lead off hitter smashed a triple and freshman third baseman Jaysoni Beachum drove a two-run home run over the center field wall.
The Gators went on to take back the lead, 4-2, in the top of the second. With one out, freshman third baseman Ariel Kowalewski drew a walk and freshman second baseman Mia Williams reached on a fielding error.
Falby recorded an RBI single to score Kowalewski and junior left fielder Korbe Otis loaded the bases to force the first pitching change for FSU. Wallace added a run to the board on an RBI groundout that plated Williams at third.
FSU continued to roar back as junior first baseman Amaya Ross tripled to the right field gap and scored on a sacrifice fly in the bottom half of the second to cut the lead to 4-3. The Seminoles went on to tie the game with a leadoff solo home run by senior outfielder Kalei Harding.
Florida’s offense pressed ahead with three runs off three hits in the top of the fourth. Falby recorded her 24th multi-hit game of the year and Otis doubled to drive her home to break the tie. Erickson stretched the lead to 7-4 with a two-run home run to center field.
The Gators kept it rolling and threatened the Seminoles pitching staff in the top of the fifth inning. With bases loaded and no outs, Falby collected her third hit of the game with a two-run single up center field. Back-to-back sacrifice flyouts added two runs to Florida’s 11-4 lead.
Freshman right-handed pitcher Keagan Rothrock allowed just three hits to keep the Seminoles scoreless through three innings. However, FSU’s offense threatened the Gators defense in the bottom half of the sixth.
With no outs, FSU recorded a two-run home run and a walk. Freshman right-handed pitcher Ava Brown subbed in to relieve the inning, but Florida State managed to plate one more run via a bases loaded walk.
Florida pushed its lead to 13-7 in the top of the seventh as Otis smashed her seventh home run of the season off the top of the left field center wall.
Although, Florida State fought right back in the bottom half of the inning with a six-run on four hit frame. After Rothrock re-entered the game, Harding shot a three-run home run to tie the game at 13.
In extra innings, the Gators managed to score two runs off two hits and Rothrock allowed one hit to keep the Seminoles scoreless.
Next, Florida will finish the regular season against Texas A&M in a 3-game series at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. Game 1 is Friday at 7 p.m.
Contact Hailey Hurst at hhurst@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @haileyjhurst.
Hailey Hurst is a second-year journalism major with a focus in sports media and a sports reporter for The Alligator. In her free time, she enjoys going to the beach and cheering for Miami sports teams.
