After getting swept in a doubleheader at home on Saturday by Texas, which clinched a series loss, Florida faced a gut check moment on Monday. Texas, a newcomer to the conference, looked to clinch the sweep in its first SEC series, which Florida did not allow to happen.
Trailing 1-0 and losing each game of the doubleheader by five or more more runs, Florida needed a big moment at the plate. Following back-to-back singles by sophomore second baseman Mia Williams and freshman designated player Gabi Comia, the Gators looked poised to do damage in the bottom of the third. However, after the Gators went down on back-to-back outs, they needed freshman right fielder Taylor Shumaker to step up for a big moment at the plate.
Facing a 1-0 count, she sliced a two-run double to left center field to give UF the lead, notching her first RBIs against the Longhorns. Unlike the rest of the series, Florida maintained the positive momentum it generated in the bottom of the third.
The No. 3 Florida Gators (28-4, 3-3 SEC) never looked back after Shumaker’s double, defeating the No. 2 Texas Longhorns (28-2, 2-1 SEC) on Monday 3-1 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium, which snapped a 17-game winning streak for the Longhorns.
While the end result in Monday’s contest was favorable for UF, the start of the game was not. Texas redshirt junior left fielder Ashton Maloney hit a ground ball right back to Florida freshman starting pitcher Katelynn Oxley, who lobbed the ball over senior first baseman Reagan Walsh’s head. The play went from a routine groundout, to Maloney reaching on a three-base error.
Facing two strikes, Texas sophomore center fielder Kayden Henry made Oxley pay for her mistake, driving an RBI single to right field.
However, this would be Oxley’s (4-2) lone blemish on the night. She pitched five innings, giving up one run (none earned) on two hits. She also struck out two Longhorn batters. Sophomore pitcher Ava Brown relieved Oxley to start the top of the sixth, but faced trouble early.
Like her counterpart, some of her issues were self-induced. She walked Longhorn junior catcher Reese Atwood, and senior first baseman Katie Cimusz reached on a fielder’s choice, with Brown committing a throwing error trying to record the out at second.
While the inning looked to pose trouble, junior third baseman Kenleigh Cahalan had other plans. Texas sophomore left fielder Katie Stewart hit a ball along the third base line, Cahalan snagged it, touched the bag and rifled a throw to first to force a double play.
This play was crucial for Brown to record her second save of the campaign, as she retired the Longhorns in order in the seventh. The collective effort by Oxley and Brown kept the Longhorns hitless after the second inning.
Despite the masterful performance by UF’s pitching, Texas senior starting pitcher Mac Morgan (5-1) was able to keep the UF lineup contained. Facing a 2-1 deficit in the bottom of the fourth, Morgan started to lose control as UF looked for insurance.
Morgan hit Florida junior catcher Jocelyn Erickson, and Walsh singled to center field. Following a fielder’s choice by Cahalan, Morgan was relieved by junior pitcher Citlaly Gutierrez, who surrendered an RBI sacrifice fly to Williams, which gave UF a much-needed insurance run.
Gutierrez was able to keep the Longhorns in the game, as she pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings.
UF will look to start a new winning streak on Wednesday, as it travels to take on Jacksonville University. First pitch for the contest against the Dolphins is slated for 6 p.m.
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.
