While the Gators jumped out to a 2-0 start to the season, they hadn’t put together a complete offensive performance where they used singles, extra-base hits and home runs to score all in one game.
No. 3 Florida (4-0) did just that in both of its games on Saturday by defeating the Delaware Blue Hens (1-4) 10-5 and the No. 22 Michigan Wolverines (2-2) 13-1 in five innings.
The Gators wasted no time starting the scoring against Delaware, with senior outfielder Korbe Otis hitting a two-run homer off UD senior starting pitcher Billie Kerwood (2-2) to make it 2-0 in the bottom of the first. Kerwood gave up six runs in 2 1/3 innings pitched.
The scoring continued in the bottom of the second with UF freshman outfielder Taylor Shumaker adding to her electric start to the season with a two-run double. She stole home later in the inning to make it 5-0.
After surrendering a run in the third, UF continued to dominate. Sophomore second baseman Mia Williams hit a RBI double in the bottom of the third to make it 6-1.
Junior catcher Jocelyn Erickson also hit a RBI double in the bottom of the fourth to make it 7-1. Later in the frame, freshman designated player Gabi Comia hit a two-run home run in her first collegiate at bat to make it 9-1.
UF senior starting pitcher Kara Hammock (1-0) was strong in the circle for most of the day. She got through the first four innings relatively smoothly, allowing just one run in the top of the third on a double by UD senior designated player Mary Beth Cahalan.
However, the top of the fifth spelled trouble for Hammock. She surrendered an RBI walk to senior right fielder/pitcher Morgan Hess before giving up a three-run home run to junior catcher Sydney Shaffer. Hammock finished with five innings pitched, giving up five runs on three hits while striking out four batters along the way.
Sophomore pitcher Ava Brown came in and pitched the final two innings for Florida. She gave up no runs and walked just one batter.
UF senior infielder Reagan Walsh concluded the scoring with a RBI double to make it 10-5 in the sixth inning.
In the second half of the doubleheader, UF faced a Michigan team that gave the Gators problems in the 2024 campaign. UF went 0-2 against the Wolverines last season.
Nevertheless, Florida stuck to what helped it beat Delaware earlier in the day to take down the Wolverines.
Shumaker started the scoring early for the Gators by hitting a two-run bomb in the top of the first off Michigan sophomore starting pitcher Erin Hoehn (0-2) to give UF a 2-0 lead. Hoehn would pitch 1 1/3 innings and give up five runs on six hits.
Michigan junior third baseman Maddie Erickson hit an RBI single off UF starting pitcher Keagan Rothrock (2-0) to cut the deficit to 2-1. This would be all Rothrock would give up, as she pitched five innings and struck out two batters while allowing just one hit on the day.
UF responded with three runs in the top of the second. Williams belted out a solo home run to extend the lead. Erickson later hit a sacrifice fly and Walsh knocked in an RBI single to make it a 5-1 ball game.
Later, in the top of the third, Shumaker blasted out her second home run of the day, this time driving in two runs to extend Florida’s lead to 7-1.
In the top of the fifth, Williams scored on a wild pitch, while Erickson tallied an RBI walk later in the frame to make it 9-1. Walsh would deliver the exclamation point with a grand slam to cap off Florida’s lead at 13-1.
UF will take on Georgia Southern at noon on Sunday and USF at 2:30 p.m. to wrap up the USF-Rawlings Invitational.
Contact Jackson Colding at jcolding@alligator.org. Follow him on X @Colding_Jackson.
Jackson Colding is a junior sports journalism major and the Spring 2025 softball reporter. He is in his second semester at the sports desk. In his free time, he likes playing hockey, soccer and going to the gym.
