Florida softball\u00a0is a win away from OKC.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Gators\u00a0defeated Georgia 6-1 Friday afternoon at\u00a0Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium\u00a0in game 1 of the NCAA Gainesville Super Regional.<\/p>\n
The win helps break some bad mojo vs. the Bulldogs in super regionals. This is UF\u2019s first win over the \u2018Dawgs in supers, and it scored three times the amount of runs as the prior four games. Florida lost 3-0 and 3-2 in 2016 and 4-0 and 6-0 in 2021.<\/p>\n
“Keagan had a great game for us today, and one of the best she’s had for us in a long time,” coach Tim Walton said. “Really excited the way she set the tone, and then obviously, Reagan doing the same thing on the full count in the first inning, just given that breathing room early in the game.”<\/p>\n
The Gators wasted no time making this season different. Reagan Walsh made the Bulldogs pay for pitching around Taylor Shumaker and Jocelyn Erickson with a three-run bomb in the bottom of the first inning.<\/p>\n
Walsh said the pitching around adds fuel to her fire.<\/p>\n
“Our lineup of 1-9 is really scary, so you’re going to have to deal with one of us at one point,” Walsh said.<\/p>\n
Rothrock said the early lead gives her immense confidence.<\/p>\n
“You’re still worrying about all the little things, but you’re able to do them more freely,” Rothrock said. “For me, it allows me to just make sure that I’m keeping the lead for the offense, because they work their butts off to get that lead.”<\/p>\n
Florida put runners on base consistently over the next few innings, but it could not generate a run. That changed in the fifth when Ava Brown went yard for the third time in four games. This scored Mia Williams and made it 5-0. Later in the inning, Kendra Falby recorded her first hit in four tries \u2013 a double into the right-center gap.<\/p>\n
UF didn\u2019t need many runs, though, as Keagan Rothrock was dealing in the circle. The ace held UGA hitless through five and three of those innings were 1-2-3. In the fourth, Georgia recorded a leadoff runner, but Shumaker completed a fantastic double play. She made the catch at the warning track, but Bulldogs runner Mollie Morrison had taken off. Shumaker noticed immediately and completed the double play.<\/p>\n
“She was ready for it. Then a freaking bullet off her back foot to Reagan. I thought it was very heady,” Walton said. “I get frustrated when we make silly mistakes, but I’ve grown to expect Taylor to be one step ahead of times.”<\/p>\n
The \u2018Dawgs broke through in the sixth with a leadoff double from Emma Castorri. UGA eventually plated a run and loaded the bases for the meat of its lineup. However, Rothrock got out of the jam and made easy work in the seventh. In total, she allowed two hits, one run and struck out seven in a complete game.<\/p>\n
Florida will look to officially clinch its spot in Oklahoma City and the Women\u2019s College World Series Saturday at 11 a.m. on ESPN.<\/p>\n
Florida doesn’t add any runs in the sixth as Walsh, Williams and Brown go down. Florida, though, is three outs away from a win. It leads UGA 6-1 into the top of the seventh.<\/p>\n