The story of the night for Florida was the phenomenal performance of the Gators’ bats.
The Gators recorded 14 hits in the ballgame, with senior Kenleigh Cahalan leading the way with three hits while also adding an RBI. Cahalan has started 2026 on the right foot, as the shortstop is batting .538 through three games.
No. 6 Florida delivered its strongest showing of the weekend, cruising to a commanding 8–0 run-rule victory over Bethune-Cookman in its second game of day three of the USF-Rawlings Invitational.
Florida used five pitchers in tonight’s game, but junior Ava Brown got the start for the Gators. The right-hander tossed two innings and made quick work of the Wildcats’ lineup, retiring the first six batters she faced to open the game.
The duo of sophomore Taylor Shumaker and senior Jocelyn Erickson made their impact early on in the contest. In the bottom of the 1st, Shumaker knocked a double into right-center, and immediately after, Erickson smashed her first home run of the season off the scoreboard to give the Gators a 2-0 lead.
Florida’s offense stayed hot, and once again, sophomore Gabi Comia delivered. Comia ripped an RBI double that brought home Cahalan, extending Florida’s lead to 3-0.
Comia has been the player of the weekend for the Gators. The sophomore is batting .600 to start the year, and her impact was shown again in tonight’s contest.
Redshirt freshman Townsen Thomas continues to play a major role in the leadoff role for the Gators. Thomas hit a sacrifice fly in the 2nd inning to score Comia and further Florida’s lead 4-0.
Florida wasn’t done from there as senior Kendall Grover hit a line drive double in the bottom of the 3rd to score Erickson after she led off the inning with a double.
Freshman Kalie Matsuno recorded her first hit in a Florida uniform tonight, extending the Gators’ lead to 7–0 in the bottom of the 5th.
The nail in the coffin for the Wildcats came at the bottom of the 6th when Cahalan drove in Shumaker.
Florida wraps up play at the Rawlings Invitational on Sunday with a doubleheader, facing Kansas at 12 p.m. before taking on host USF at 2:35 p.m.
Contact Zach Moore at zmoore@alligator.org. Follow him on X @zach_moore27.
Zach is a sophomore sports journalism student in his first semester at The Alligator, covering softball. He also has experience as an intern in the Florida Collegiate Summer League. Zach enjoys watching sports in his free time, primarily the Minnesota Vikings, Orlando Magic, and Arsenal FC.
