No. 8 Florida looked to be in position to sweep the series against No. 19 Ole Miss. With the Gators’ offense unable to get any runs on the board during the first four innings, the contest was tied heading into the bottom of the fourth.
However, UF sophomore starting pitcher Keagan Rothrock, who has struggled as of late, gave up five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
A grand slam by senior designated player Aliyah Binford helped the Rebels gain much-needed momentum in the contest, and it sent the crowd at the Ole Miss Softball Complex into a frenzy.
Her blast helped Ole Miss (31-11, 7-8 SEC) defeat Florida (37-9, 9-6) on Sunday 8-6 to avoid the series sweep. Florida couldn’t complete its second SEC series sweep of the season, despite recording six runs in the contest.
The scoring in the contest didn’t start until the bottom of the fourth inning. With the bases loaded, Ole Miss senior left fielder Jaden Pone reached on an infield single to UF junior third baseman Kenleigh Cahalan. Then, Binford, the ensuing batter, took a two-strike pitch and sent a moonshot grand slam to left field for her sixth home run of the season.
In the ensuing inning, Ole Miss senior center fielder Ashton Landsell hit a solo home run to center field to score the sixth run for the Rebels.
Despite going down six runs to none in the top of the sixth, Florida rallied its way back into the contest by doing what they have done all season — hitting home runs.
Following a double from freshman right fielder Taylor Shumaker and an infield single by senior left fielder Korbe Otis, sophomore second baseman Mia Williams stepped up.
She took a 3-1 pitch and hit a three-run home run off the scoreboard in left-center field to cut Florida’s deficit by three. This marked her 16th home run of the season and moved her into sole possession of the team lead, passing Shumaker.
However, Florida’s pitching continued to struggle. Rothrock (10-3) pitched four innings, giving up five runs on five hits while striking out four. Sophomore pitcher Olivia Miller followed and relieved her for one inning, giving up just one run, and freshman pitcher Katelynn Oxley pitched the sixth inning and gave up two runs (one earned).
The Rebels gained much-needed separation in the bottom of the sixth. Following back-to-back singles by Malvin and Pone, Malvin scored on a fielding error by Florida senior shortstop Rylee Holtorf. Two at-bats later, Ole Miss freshman first baseman Persy Llamas hit a run-scoring single to right field.
While down by five runs, Florida once again used the long ball to its advantage. Holtorf was hit by a pitch in the top of the seventh and senior center fielder Kendra Falby reached on a fielder’s choice by Starr. Junior catcher Jocelyn Erickson took a full-count pitch and blasted her team’s second three-run home run of the game to bring UF within two runs.
However, it wasn’t enough as Florida could not complete the sweep. This was their third SEC series road loss of the season
The Gators are back in action on Thursday, as they return home to host the No. 22 Alabama Crimson Tide in a three-game series. First pitch for the series opener 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.
