Down 6-5 in the bottom of the sixth, Florida looked to grab momentum. Sophomore second baseman Mia Williams drilled a leadoff single, and with two outs, senior center fielder Kendra Falby reached on a ground-ball infield single to bring Florida’s most prolific home-run hitter to the plate.
Freshman right fielder Taylor Shumaker stepped up looking to put her team ahead in the contest. With the count in her favor, 2-1, she knew she had an opportunity to get a hold of a pitch. She did just that, lifting the ball high into the air toward center field. As Arkansas junior center fielder Reagan Johnson raced back to the wall, she leapt up the dark-green wall to make a game-saving catch, preventing three runs from scoring on the play.
“One of our players, I think, in the dugout kind of as a cheer as it’s halfway there said, ‘Get wings ball,’ so she didn’t quite get it all,” UF coach Tim Walton said.
The No. 12/13 Arkansas Razorbacks (28-8, 8-7 SEC) used the home-run robbery to seize momentum and score three runs in the top of the seventh to defeat the No. 3/2 Florida Gators (34-8, 7-5) on Sunday 9-5 in Gainesville. With the loss, Florida dropped its second SEC series of the season, with both coming at home.
“I wouldn’t doubt the Gators at all, I think that we fight until the end, and I think that we’ve proved that over the years,” senior first baseman Reagan Walsh said. “People can say whatever, but I believe in this team and all the talent that we have.”
Florida sophomore starting pitcher Katelynn Oxley’s outing got off to a rough start in the top of the first. Johnson reached on an error by Williams, while Arkansas senior first baseman Bri Ellis, who leads the SEC in home runs, was intentionally walked for the first time of this contest. Oxley then surrendered a two-run double to Arkansas junior catcher Kailey Wyckoff two at-bats later.
Florida was able to respond, however, in the bottom of the first. After Falby, Shumaker and junior catcher Jocelyn Erickson reached on walks, and Arkansas junior starting pitcher Reis Beuerlein was subsequently pulled from her outing. Junior pitcher Cam Harrison entered the game, but was not able to escape the jam.
Walsh took a two-strike pitch and launched a grand slam to the edge of the Florida bullpen for her 11th home run of the season, and Florida’s second grand slam in as many days.
Harrison (4-1) went on to pitch 6 2/3 innings, giving up two runs and striking out five batters on six hits.
After Ellis was intentionally walked for the second time in the top of the third, Arkansas freshman third baseman Ella McDowell hit her first RBI double of the contest on a 1-0 pitch to cut the Razorbacks’ deficit to one run.
Oxley pitched four innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on three hits and struck out two Razorback batters. However, the top of the fifth is where the contest unraveled for Florida. Sophomore pitcher Olivia Miller entered the contest, but exited after pitching 1/3 of an inning.
Senior left fielder Raigan Kramer walked, and Ellis was intentionally walked for the third time of the contest. Subsequently, McDowell drilled her second RBI double, this one to right-center field. After the score, sophomore pitcher Ava Brown (9-1) relieved Miller, but failed to limit the damage. Wyckoff hit an RBI sacrifice fly, and Arkansas junior shortstop Atalyia Rijo hit an RBI single off the right-center field wall to cap off a three-run fifth inning.
“We weren’t great at Auburn either, even though the scores may not have indicated that, we weren’t great there.” Walton said on the pitching. “We haven’t been great in the last couple weeks.
While Arkansas took the lead in the top of the fifth, Erickson responded in the bottom half of the frame. She lifted a two-strike pitch high into the sunny skies and deposited it into the right field grass for her 10th home run of the season, cutting the deficit to one run.
The Razorbacks put the contest out of reach in the top of the seventh after the home run robbery by Johnson. Ellis was hit by a pitch, McDowell hit a single and Wyckoff walked to load the bases with no outs. Rijo plated the first run of the frame, driving a two-strike pitch up the middle for an RBI single. Harrison, the Razorback pitcher, followed up with a RBI single of her own to center field. Sophomore pinch hitter Kennedy Miller scored the final run of the contest, reaching on a fielder’s choice by Florida senior shortstop Rylee Holtorf.
Florida is back in action on Wednesday as it travels to DeLand, Florida, to take on Stetson. First pitch 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.
