Many items and events are synonymous with Valentine’s Day. Love, flowers and chocolates are just some of the things that can be found on Feb. 14.
However, on Friday night, the Florida Gators softball squad included America’s National Pastime on a day that traditionally represents love. The No. 2 Gators not only participated in the Valentine’s Day festivities, but also dominated them, defeating Providence 5-0 in the afternoon game and No. 14 Duke 9-0 in the nightcap.
Elite pitching was the key to the game for Florida against Providence. Sophomore Olivia Miller, who became the first Gator freshman to throw a perfect game last year, took the circle for her first outing of the 2025 campaign.
Miller not only built upon the momentum of her freshman season, but arguably set the bar for the rest of her sophomore campaign. Miller went the full seven innings, allowing just three hits and three walks en route to a complete game shutout. Miller also tallied six strikeouts along the way.
“Knowing that my defense is behind me to make any play is huge,” Miller said. “Also knowing that the offense is on top of things and can provide run support for me makes my job a lot easier.”
While the usual offensive fireworks weren’t there for Florida, a four-run third inning provided Miller with more than enough run support. Freshman outfielder Taylor Shumaker, who has burst onto the scene having already earned a National Player of the Week Award, led the way for UF. Shumaker blasted a three-run double, while junior catcher/first baseman Jocelyn Erickson roped an RBI triple to break the game open.
Erickson, who has flown under the radar to begin the season despite being the reigning SEC Player of the Year, also notched an RBI single to bring Shumaker home in the fifth.
The victory over Providence was Florida’s tenth in as many games, as UF has looked unbeatable to begin the season. However, the nightcap against No. 14 Duke would be the Gators’ biggest test on paper to date.
While Duke was Florida’s first consensus-ranked opponent of 2025, the Gators disposed of them in the same fashion as their previous adversaries, thrashing the Blue Devils in a shortened 9-0 run-rule victory for their second win of the day.
Sophomore pitcher Keagan Rothrock took the circle for Florida in the second game. Rothrock,, was looking to notch her fifth win in as many starts.
Rothrock showed her usual dominance throughout the game, allowing just two hits in a shortened five-inning complete game shutout. Rothrock also sat down five Blue Devils on strikes throughout the night, stifling a talented top-15 team.
As is the case with every shutout, credit was shared both by Rothrock and her defense. Shortstop Rylee Holtroff made sensational consecutive plays, often going deep into the hole to nab any potential Duke runners.
“It’s good to know that even if I do give up a ball in play, I’m going to have a defense behind me and it’s not a huge worry,” exclaimed Rothrock. “I can turn around and say, ‘Oh, Riley’s there,’ or ‘Oh, Kenleigh is there.’ We practice the hard plays in practice to make them look easier in the game.”
The win was Rothrock’s fifth of the season, including her third in as many days. Rothrock is picking up exactly where she left off from a stellar freshman season, where she dominated en route to a 30-6 record.
Despite all the success Rothrock achieved in her debut campaign, a disappointing final outing in the College World Series Semifinals has provided extra motivation for her sophomore season.
“I stayed here over the summer to get back to where I wanted to be,” Rothrock said. ““I don’t want to undermine what I achieved last year, but it didn’t end how I wanted to, and that made me work harder over the offseason.”
After an unusually cold afternoon at the plate against Providence for everyone not named Shumaker or Erickson, a team effort in the batter’s box resulted in nine runs in only four frames for the Gators.
Inevitably, Shumaker was right in the middle of it all for Florida. A first-inning blast, Shumaker’s nation-leading eighth of the season, set the tone for the rest of the night.
Shumaker is not only on pace to shatter Florida records, but potentially national marks as well. Schumaker is currently on pace for 43 homers this season, six more than the D1 record, set at 37.
Shumaker also followed the homer with a two-run double in the third and an RBI single in the fourth, giving her four RBIs in the game and seven on the day.
“She’s awesome,” Rothrock said of her standout teammate. “For her being a freshman, she is so smart and just has fun with it. She just goes out there and does her thing. I feel like you would ever know that she is actually a freshman.”
The rest of the Gators lineup collected seven hits, giving them ten total in just four innings of play.
UF leadoff hitter Kendra Felby had multiple knocks and stolen bases in the game, setting the tone for the power hitters who came after her, as she crossed the plate twice against Duke.
A five-run fourth frame blew the game open for Florida, with junior third baseman Kenleigh Cahalan capping the action off with a two-run single. Cahalan, whose four home runs and .400 batting average have somewhat flown under the radar as of late, belted two hits on the day, including a second-inning double.
The latter win marked Florida’s 11th of the season, as UF continues its dominating start that hasn’t seen a close game yet.
Despite the early success, Florida knows that it can’t let its foot off of the gas. Although the Gators had plenty of success last year, the blowout loss in the Semifinals of the College Softball World Series left a bitter taste in their mouths.
“We all knew that we could have finished the season better, starting with me on the mound,” Rothrock asserted.
If the start of the season is any indication, Florida is ready to put last season’s rough end in the rearview mirror with an even better 2025.
The Gators are back in action Saturday for another doubleheader, taking on Boston College again at 11:30 a.m. and Binghamton at 2 p.m.
Contact Josh Stevens at JStevens1@alligator.org Follow him on X @josh.stevens.15.
