After a three-hour-long slugfest loss against UCLA, Florida had to regroup after its first loss of the year.
Florida was leading 5-3 in the bottom of the 6th, and it seemed like the Gators would avenge the earlier defeat, but LMU scored two runs, tying the ballgame at five.
In response, senior Kenleigh Cahalan led the top of the seventh off with a single, but the Gators recorded two quick outs after. That set the stage for junior Madison Walker, and with all eyes on her, she delivered, crushing a go-ahead two-run homer over the center-field wall.
Behind the longball by Walker, No. 4 Florida (22-1) defeated Loyola Marymount (13-3) 7-5 on Friday night at Anderson Family Field. The Gators moved to 7-0 all-time against the Lions following the victory.
After suffering its first loss of 2026, Florida softball turned to freshman Leah Stevens and she delivered. In her fourth collegiate start, Stevens went four innings and surrendered two runs.
It took no time for the Gators to get on the scoreboard. In the top of the first, sophomore Taylor Shumaker led the game off with a double to left, her team-high eighth. Right behind the right fielder, senior Jocelyn Erickson lined a single to right field, scoring Shumaker from second.
The Gators added a second run after catcher Ella Wesolowski drew a bases-loaded walk, scoring Erickson, giving Florida a 2-0 lead.
LMU answered in the bottom half as Izzy Jamgotchian launched a solo homer to cut the deficit in half. The catcher had two hits and two RBIs in the loss.
In the top of the second, Cahalan responded and drove in redshirt freshman Townsen Thomas, making the lead 3-1 in favor of Florida.
LMU answered in the bottom half when Avery Francis did her job and launched a sac fly into center, scoring Scarlett Carlson from third.
A sacrifice fly by Shumaker allowed Thomas to score her second run of the evening, restoring the cushion 4-2.
Perhaps the most significant hit from the Lions came in the bottom of the fifth. Sydney Poole launched an RBI double into center that allowed LMU’s Rubi Lopez to score from first.
After the double by Poole cut the Florida lead to one, the Gators looked to get an insurance run in the sixth, and Wesolowski delivered. The catcher launched her second homer of the year, restoring Florida’s two-run advantage.
In relief, junior Keagan Rothrock came in and avenged her disappointing start against UCLA earlier. Despite giving up the two runs in the sixth, Rothrock went 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the seventh to end the ballgame.
Florida concludes play at the Judi Garman Classic on Saturday against Oregon State. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Anderson Family Field
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.
