With the game tied 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning, No. 8 Florida needed just one big play to take the game – and the series – over No. 22 Alabama.
Senior left fielder Korbe Otis stepped up to the plate with runners on first and second. Facing a full-count, Otis hit a hard ground ball past Alabama senior second baseman Kai Heivilin to secure the rubber match and her second walk-off hit of SEC play.
For Otis, however, her walk-off hit wasn’t the only thing her teammates celebrated. In a postgame ceremony, Athletes Unlimited Softball Commissioner Kim Ng came to the field and presented Otis with a “golden ticket,” guaranteeing her selection to a team in the league to further her softball career.
Otis’ big day propelled Florida (39-10, 11-7 SEC) to a walk-off win over Alabama (31-19, 8-11 SEC) to secure the series at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium 4-3. This was the Gators first SEC series win at home of the 2025 campaign.
“We were told to stay on the field, and the ceremony happened,” Otis said. “That was pretty shocking, a pretty cool moment.”
Alabama opened the scoring in the contest in the top of the sixth. Alabama junior right fielder Larissa Preuitt reached on a two-out single and managed to steal second during the ensuing at-bat.
Heivilin then took a two-strike pitch and laced it down the right field line for an RBI double to crack the scoreboard.
However, Florida wasted no time drawing even in the contest. Freshman right fielder Taylor Shumaker took a 2-0 pitch and hit a leadoff double down the left field line in the bottom of the sixth. She advanced to third on a wild pitch by Briski, which gave junior catcher Jocelyn Erickson a chance to drive in the game-tying run.
She did just that, recording an RBI groundout that was bobbled by Heivilin to level the score. Florida didn’t stop there and took its first lead , as senior first baseman Reagan Walsh reached base with a two-out single down the left field line.
Sophomore second baseman Mia Williams then took a 2-1 pitch and lined an RBI double that smacked the wall in right center field to put Florida ahead in the bottom of the sixth.
The Crimson Tide responded in the top of the seventh, spoiling UF sophomore starting pitcher Keagan Rothrock’s dominant outing. Rothrock pitched 6 2/3 innings, giving up three runs on six hits while striking out a SEC career-high seven batters.
“From where she was at last weekend and where she was at Thursday, it was a heck of a lot better, more Keagan Rothrock-like,” UF head coach Tim Walton said.
In the top of the seventh, Alabama started the inning with runners on first and third with one out. Sophomore shortstop Salen Hawkins hit an RBI sacrifice fly to right field, with Shumaker’s throw to home coming just too late. In the ensuing at-bat, sophomore left fielder Lauren Johnson drove a single to center field to give the Crimson Tide the lead, ending Rothrock’s outing.
“Honestly, it’s been really tough, and it’s definitely not a physical thing – physically, I feel great,” Rothrock said. “Everything is healthy and fine, it’s been a very big mental thing for me, which isn’t normal for me. I’m typically somebody who is pretty mentally tough.”
Freshman pitcher Katelynn Oxley (7-4) retired the side with a strikeout.
Florida, however, tied the contest in the bottom of the seventh inning before the walk-off hit that secured the SEC series win.
Florida is back in action on Wednesday as they host the South Florida Bulls, with first pitch 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.
