The Florida softball pitching staff has been dominant all season. Leading the way in the circle for Florida are freshman Keagan Rothrock and Ava Brown, who split Wednesday’s matchup.
The duo had accounted for eight complete-game shutouts coming into Wednesday’s game with Rothrock recording five and Brown notching four.
The duo combined to throw another one.
Rothrock delivered two strikeouts and one walk in three innings. Brown followed with two strikeouts in two innings.
The No.10 Gators (26-4, 2-1 SEC) defeated Florida Gulf Coast (21-10) 9-0 at the FGCU Softball Complex in Fort Myers.
The Gators had a hot start offensively in the second inning. Back-to-back walks and a hit by the pitch loaded the bases for Florida.
UF freshman outfielder Cassidy McLellan then drew the third walk to push across junior pinch-runner Brooke Barnard at third base for the first run of the game.
With the bases loaded and one out, redshirt senior shortstop Skylar Wallace blasted a grand slam over the right-center field wall. The reigning SEC Player of the Year recorded her seventh home run of the season and extended the lead to 5-0.
In the bottom half of the second, the Eagles managed to pick up their first base runners of the game via a walk and a single down the left-field line. Though, Rothrock stranded the pair with her first strikeout of the game.
Florida loaded the bases again in the third inning, but could not capitalize, as the FGCU graduate pitcher Ally Hulme forced a flyout to escape the jam.
Brown entered the circle in the bottom half of the fourth. The Eagles earned their third hit of the game, but Wallace turned a double play and recorded all three outs to escape trouble.
The Gators added to the lead in the top of the fourth. UF senior right fielder Katie Kistler led off with a triple. Junior third baseman Reagan Walsh drove her home on a sacrifice fly to deep left field. With runners on first and second, junior center fielder Kendra Falby delivered a double to left center field to extend the lead to 7-0.
In the fifth inning and a runner on first, Walsh stepped up to the plate with two outs. On the first pitch, Walsh crushed her 10th home run to the top of the FGCU scoreboard in left center field. The two-run homer put the Gators in run-rule territory.
Freshman left-handed pitcher Olivia Miller subbed in for Brown to end the frame. A ground out to second base earned the Gators their 17th shutout of the year.
Next, Florida will step back into SEC play against the Kentucky Wildcats for its first conference series at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. Game 1 is Friday at 6 p.m.
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.
