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OKLAHOMA CITY - UF outscored Texas A&M 6-2 on Sunday.

Unfortunately for the No. 1 Gators (70-5), the teams played two games.

After a 3-2 loss to Louisiana-Lafayette on Thursday, UF put itself in position to advance to the Women's College World Series Championship Series against Arizona State with one more win.

But for the second season in a row, the No. 5 Aggies (57-8) ended the Gators postseason, this time with a 1-0 decision that took nine innings.

Junior Stacey Nelson exchanged zeros with A&M senior Megan Gibson, but in the end the Aggies were able to get the big hit that would be the difference in the pitchers' duel.

UF left Oklahoma City as one of the final four teams in the tournament, and the owners of the best run differential (7) for any team in the tournament other than ASU.

Of the Gators' losses this season, four of them came by a score of 1-0.

The national championship bid is over for the Orange and Blue, but this year's team enjoyed the most successful season in the 11-year history of UF softball.

"It's tough to lose, but I don't know of any other team that has gone or ever will go 70-5," UF coach Tim Walton said. "It's unbelievable."

Coming into this season, the Gators had never won a Southeastern Conference tournament title or made a WCWS appearance.

This year's squad won the SEC regular-season and tournament crowns before accomplishing their yearlong goal. Those were just some of the firsts for the Gators in 2008.

Most importantly, they did all of this together.

"We didn't win a national championship, but it's the first time that Florida has gone to the College World Series," Nelson said. "We've just done so many other great things this season, and it's just a team to remember. Everybody just comes together and plays, and that's what I'm going to remember."

In addition to establishing the program on a national level, the Gators rewrote the university's record book with their individual and team accomplishments.

The offense was vastly improved from 2007 and set record team marks in home runs, RBIs, runs, doubles, hits, on base percentage, slugging percentage and batting average. Coupled with a record-low 0.92 team ERA, the dynamic offense provided plenty of run support for Nelson and freshman Stephanie Brombacher.

Five players earned Louisville Slugger NFCA All-American honors - tied with the Sun Devils for the most in the nation.

Nelson and junior first baseman Ali Gardiner made the first team, sophomore left fielder Francesca Enea and freshman second baseman Aja Paculba were named to the second team, and junior center fielder Kim Waleszonia earned third-team honors.

Before this season, UF never had a first-team All-American and only had three previous selections of any kind, and that includes Nelson and Waleszonia's selections from last season.

Gardiner set single-season records in batting average and on base percentage while tying Waleszonia's hit record from a year ago. Enea posted new season highs in RBIsand total bases en route to tying former UF catcher Kristen Butler for the most home runs (17).

At the top of the lineup, Waleszonia and Paculba both broke the runs scored record (49) by crossing home plate 62 and 61 times respectively. Basically, if there was a record to be broken, the UF softball team broke it this season.

As impressive as all those statistics are, the SEC Pitcher of the Year broke almost every meaningful single-season and career record during her more than 350 innings inside the circle.

And next year every single one of those record-setting players will be back to challenge for a national title, which isn't good news for the rest of the nation.

The Gators will lose just senior right fielder Mary Ratliff for their encore performance. Ratliff was one of the team's leaders, and she had a knack for getting hits in big situations. She hit the game-winning home run in the SEC Tournament and also had the winning hit against the Hokies in the WCWS - keeping UF's season alive.

"We only have one senior leaving, but she means so much to the team and to me personally as a friend," Nelson said.

Though they lose Ratliff's clutch bat, the Gators will welcome freshman Shaunice Harris back to the field next season after she was forced to sit out all season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Harris started three games for the Gators this season before her injury opened up a spot for Corrie Brooks.

But that didn't end up being so bad after all as Brooks' defense-and recently her offense-has been a huge bonus for UF's record-breaking season.

"Corrie Brooks has played phenomenal," Walton said at the WCWS. "She looks like she's played third base her whole life. She's one of the reasons we're successful right now."

Junior catcher Kristina Hilberth and freshman shortstop Megan Bush, who hit 13 home runs including a go-ahead bomb against Cal in Super Regional play, round out the rest of the starters coming back for UF next season.

When the Gators resume play again in 2009, a familiar SEC foe could prove to be their toughest competition anywhere in the nation.

Alabama's Charlotte Morgan joins Nelson as the only two first-team All-American pitchers returning to college softball next year.

The Crimson Tide are responsible for one of the Gators' five loses and made a WCWS appearance of their own, also bowing out after a semifinal matchup.