After retiring the first two batters she faced in the bottom of the seventh, UF freshman pitcher Katelynn Oxley was one out away from sending the game to extra innings, giving her offense another chance to separate.
After allowing a single by Texas A&M junior third baseman Kennedy Powell, the freshman righty was still in position to retire the side and send the game to extra innings. However, on a 3-1 count, TAMU graduate designated player Mac Barbara singled to center field.
UF senior left fielder Korbe Otis attempted to get Powell at third, but was not on time. Subsequently, junior third baseman Kenleigh Cahalan tried to reach Barbara at second, but her throw was errant, and freshman right fielder Taylor Shumaker was not able to throw out Powell at home after gathering the missed throw in right field. Thecrowd at Davis Diamond spiraled into a frenzy.
This single moment was enough to deliver the Gators their second loss of the season. The No. 5/4 Texas A&M Aggies (22-2) defeated the No. 3 Florida Gators (24-2) 3-2 in walk-off fashion on Friday night in their Southeastern Conference (SEC) opener.
Coming into the game, the Gators won six-straight meetings over the Aggies. Of those six wins, four came during the 2024 season. UF swept Texas A&M in its final series of the regular season to clinch a share of the SEC regular season crown before defeating it again in the SEC Tournament semifinals. Florida’s last loss in the matchup was on March 19, 2022, on Texas A&M’s home turf.
However, the Aggies got the scoring started in the inaugural 2025 version of this matchup. Sophomore infielder Mya Perez opened the scoring on the first pitch of the second inning. She blasted a solo home run to center field that made the Gators play catch up throughout the rest of the game.
While UF’s offense started slow, it loaded the bases in the top of the fourth. With two outs, senior shortstop Rylee Holtorf flied out to center field, just missing a grand slam and a potential chance to put the Gators ahead.
The top of the fifth inning spelled trouble for the Aggies and senior starting pitcher Emiley Kennedy (6-2). Shumaker, the country’s leader in total bases, RBIs and runs, silenced any skepticism that she wouldn’t be able to perform against SEC competition. She lined her 13th home run of the season to center field on a full count to tie the game, passing Nebraska junior Ava Kuszak for the national home run leaderboard.
Senior center fielder Kendra Falby brought out her gold-glove heroics later in the fifth inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Perez hit another towering blast to center field. Racing back to the warning track, Falby leapt up, extended her glove above the wall and kept the ball in the park.
After the miraculous catch, she threw the ball to Holtorf, who relayed it to Erickson as she tagged out Texas A&M senior shortstop Koko Wooley to limit the scoring on the play to one run despite the bases being loaded. Additionally, earlier in the game, she singled to extend her on base streak to 26-straight games.
After senior first baseman Reagan Walsh grounded out to start the top of the sixth, Cahalan took the first pitch she saw and lined it to center field for her eighth home run of the season. This moved her into sole possession of second place on the team in homers.
Oxley (3-1) finished with a respectable outing despite the loss, giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits through 6 2/3 innings. She struck out three Aggie batters and allowed four walks. With sophomore starting pitcher Keagan Rothrock out with an injury, Oxley provided the Gators a fighting chance in the conference opener.
The Gators are back in action as the series continues on Saturday at 5 p.m. in College Station. While Florida has won six-straight SEC opening weekend series, it will have to win two-straight games on the road to keep that streak alive.
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.
