The glaring sun didn’t affect the Gators hailing from the Sunshine State as the team soared past the Rebels to pick up their second win in Oxford, Mississippi. No. 8 Florida faced No. 19 Ole Miss for game two of a three-game series.
The two SEC teams had early explosive offensive showings with eight runs scored before the fourth inning. In the second inning, juniors third baseman Kenleigh Cahalan and catcher Jocelyn Erickson each hit a home run, assisting the Gators in scoring five efficient runs.
Ole Miss senior Aliyah Binford struggled on the mound to open the contest. She hit senior first baseman Reagan Walsh and sophomore second baseman Mia Williams, putting two batters on base for Cahalan’s home run.
These runs carried Florida through the game as it picked up only one more score before the seventh inning. That came when freshman outfielder Taylor Shumaker hit a single to left field, allowing senior outfielder Kendra Falby to score in the fourth inning.
The Gators' other scorers also came in the seventh inning, closing out the game. Williams added another run for Florida after Cahalan hit a single to center field.
Sophomore pitcher Ava Brown hit a double to left center field, bringing in her teammate, freshman outfielder Kylie Shaw. With energy high and two batters still on, Falby saw an opportunity to seal another road win.
She smashed a double up the middle, sliding into second base. Her teammates, freshman infielder Gabi Comia and Cahalan, scored once again, extending the Gators lead to seven.
Cahalan led the team with four RBIs and two runs of her own, including a home run.
Shumaker piled onto the offensive dominance, putting up the team’s third double of the inning, which scored two unearned runs.
The nail in the coffin was a home run by senior outfielder Korbe Otis that brought in two more runs for Florida. It was Otis’ fifth homer of the season. She and Shumaker breezed to home plate, bringing the score to 14-3.
The Rebels could not respond to the Gators’ offense as Brown held Ole Miss to three runs and just 10 hits. Senior catcher Lexi Brady led the Rebels with 39 RBIs this season, but she didn’t record one against Florida’s defense.
Florida will look to close out the series against Ole Miss on Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.
Contact Brooke Bastedo at bbastedo@alligator.org. Follow her on X @BrookeBastedo.
