The bats were as hot as the Gainesville weather throughout Florida softball’s Sunday matchup against Texas A&M. The Gators took the series win Saturday afternoon and continued to dominate in the final game of the series.
Florida held an 6-3 lead heading into the bottom half of the sixth inning. For her first at bat of the game, senior right fielder Katie Kistler sent a ball over the right field wall for a two-run home run.
Two walks and an infield single loaded the bases. With one out, sophomore catcher Jocelyn Erickson stepped up to the plate in familiar territory. On her second pitch, she smashed the ball down the right field foul line and cleared the bases.
Erickson’s double led the Gators (43-12, 18-7 SEC) to record back-to-back walk-off wins and sweep Texas A&M (39-12, 15-9 SEC) 11-3 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium Sunday.
The Aggies took the initial lead in the contest 1-0 at the top of the first inning. Graduate student outfielder Jazmine Hill doubled to left center field and scored via a fielding error.
Florida responded in the bottom half of the inning. Junior infielder Reagan Walsh drove in two runs for the Gators with three consecutive walks and a flyout to deep center field.
The Gators called on their freshman phenom, right hander Keagan Rothrock in the circle. Faced with two outs and runners in scoring positions, Rothrock ended the frame with a strikeout looking in two separate innings.
Reigning SEC player of the year, UF shortstop Skylar Wallace extended Florida’s lead to 4-1 in the top of the third. The redshirt senior drove a two-run home run over the left field wall. Wallace left the crowd in awe as it stood on its feet with a standing ovation for Wallace’s 10th homer of the season.
Florida kept it rolling in the top of the fifth. Freshman second baseman Mia Williams led off the inning with a single to left field and junior center fielder Kendra Falby followed with a double.
UF junior left fielder Korbe Otis drove in Williams with a sacrifice fly out to right field. Wallace then scored Falby with a double to the left center field gap to extend the lead to 6-1.
Despite allowing the Aggies to record two runs off three hits in the top of the sixth inning, the Gators defense delivered a double play and escaped the damage.
Next, Florida will compete in the SEC Tournament in Auburn, Alabama from May 7-11.
Contact Hailey Hurst at hhurst@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @haileyjhurst.
Hailey Hurst is a second-year journalism major with a focus in sports media and a sports reporter for The Alligator. In her free time, she enjoys going to the beach and cheering for Miami sports teams.
