Holding a narrow 3-1 lead, Florida looked to add on insurance in the top of the sixth inning. The Gators put up seven runs to do just that.
Getting things started for Florida in the frame was none other than catcher Jocelyn Erickson. The senior launched her 14th homer of the season, scoring two Gators to extend the lead 6-1.
From there, a single by senior Kenleigh Cahalan and a double by junior Kendall Grover loaded second and third base for Florida. Madison Walker then recorded a sacrifice fly to score Cahalan and further the margin to 7-1.
Three more runs came in the frame courtesy of a double by junior Cassidy McLellan and a groundout from sophomore Gabi Comia, sealing the deal in the contest.
Behind the sixth-inning run surge, No. 5 Florida Gators (27-1, 4-0 SEC) crushed the Kentucky Wildcats (19-7, 1-3 SEC) 10-2 on a chilly Friday the 13th at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky. The victory leaves the 2026 team two wins away from tying the 2017 national runner-up’s brilliant 29–1 start to the season.
In the circle, the Keagan Rothrock revenge tour marked another chapter on Friday night. The nation’s leader in wins recorded another brilliant performance against Kentucky. The junior pitched six innings, allowing four hits and striking out three.
The Gators entered the weekend leading the nation in doubles (61) and that proved well evident again. The 62nd double of the season came courtesy of redshirt freshman Townsen Thomas in the top of the second.
Thomas has moved up into the six hole after an outstanding weekend at the plate against Missouri, where she recorded hits in all three games.
From then on, McLellan stepped up to the plate with two outs and delivered when she needed it the most. Heading into the contest, the junior had two hits in the last six games.
She launched an opposite field shot into left center to put Florida in front 2-0. The longball is the fifth for the leftfielder and the first since her five RBI night against East Texas A&M.
“For Cass, more than anything, it’s about confidence and swinging at good pitches. As the weekend went on, I thought she started swinging at much better pitches,” head coach Tim Walton said Monday following the sweep of Missouri.
All signs pointed toward the Gators pouring on more runs in the second as Comia singled up the middle, Shumaker joined her with a single of her own and Erickson drew a walk to load the bases. However, Cahalan grounded into a fielder’s choice, ending the frame.
Florida was unable to manufacture any runs in the third and fourth as it left four base runners on across the two frames.
The narrow 2-0 lead got a boost from Walker in the fifth inning. She lined a solo shot into left center, making it 3-0 Gators. The transfer has become a vital piece in the Florida lineup as she had two RBIs in the win.
In response, Kentucky’s Carly Sleeman launched a solo shot to deep right center, cutting Florida’s lead to 3-1. The third baseman leads the Wildcats at the plate with a .429 batting average.
Down to its last three outs, Kentucky’s Peyton Plotts lined a single, scoring Emory Donaldson, cutting the Gator lead down to eight. Looking for one more run to extend the game, Karissa Hamilton grounded out to second, and that was all she wrote.
Florida continues play against Kentucky on Saturday. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. from John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky.
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.
