Feb. 26 is a day Ava Brown will never forget.
During the first game of the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, California, Brown was fielding her position when she suffered a lower leg injury that required her to be stretchered off and placed in an air cast.
Head coach Tim Walton described the moment as heartwrenching as Brown is both a captain and an embodiment of what it means to be a Gator.
“To me, she’s kind of our heart and soul — she’s been that,” Walton said. “I felt like my heart was ripped out against Cal.”
Brown recalled the night as scary, noting that being across the country left her uncertain about when she would receive a clear update. Fans were left on edge awaiting news on the star player, and many initially believed the injury was season-ending.
But Brown issued a statement March 3 via X expressing hope to return this season. At the time, many expected her return to come closer to the end of Southeastern Conference play.
However, fans got their wish Friday. After Kenleigh Cahalan broke up Peja Goold’s no-hitter and launched the go-ahead home run in the 2-0 victory, Brown’s name was called. She pinch-hit to a standing ovation at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
The moment felt like a fantasy, she said, and she expressed deep appreciation for her teammates, emphasizing that the journey required a collective effort.
“I think that was probably one of the more surreal moments I’ve ever experienced in my career. I really felt the love,” Brown said. “I ended up sending something to my teammates, too, and I was like, ‘This doesn’t happen without all of you. This entire journey has required all of us.’”
On Saturday, she made another pinch-hit appearance in the bottom of the fifth, delivering a single up the middle. She then made her first start in more than 38 days Sunday, going 1-for-3 with a walk in the series-clinching victory.
Before the injury, the Montgomery, Texas, native was hitting .325. Her two hits last weekend raised her average to .341. In a series in which the Gators hit just .197 as a team, Brown’s return provided a much-needed spark of offensive firepower.
While the return of the superstar is significant, she remains limited in what she can do, emphasizing that she is taking things day by day.
Whenever she makes her eventual return in the circle, it will ease the burden on Keagan Rothrock, who has logged 128.1 innings and 13 complete games this season.
Florida sits at 36-5 (11-4 SEC) with three conference series remaining. On Wednesday, Florida faces South Florida for the second time this season. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
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.
