With the game tied at three in the top of the seventh, senior Jocelyn Erickson stepped to the plate with two outs. After a 0-for-3 start, the catcher found her moment with a runner on, as sophomore Gabi Comia reached on an infield single.
Erickson delivered, driving a go-ahead double off the center-field wall that scored Comia from first and gave Florida a 4-3 lead.
Florida wasn’t done. Senior third baseman Kendall Grover followed with a line-drive single to left, bringing Erickson home. Initially ruled out at the plate, the call was overturned after review, confirming Erickson beat the tag and sending Florida fans into a frenzy on the first base side of Jack Turner Softball Stadium.
Ultimately, No. 6 Florida (47-7, 17-5 SEC) grabbed Game 1 against No. 17 Georgia (34-17, 10-12 SEC) 5-3 on Thursday evening in Athens, Georgia. With the win, the Gators moved into sole possession of second place in the SEC standings.
In the circle for the Bulldogs, junior southpaw Randi Roelling immediately showcased her ability to generate swings and misses. Entering Thursday, Roelling led UGA with 108 strikeouts and set the tone early, fanning both Taylor Shumaker and Kendall Grover in the first inning.
She continued her dominance, recording four strikeouts through the first three frames while holding the Gators hitless.
For Florida, it was another Game 1 series start for junior Keagan Rothrock. She cruised through the first two innings but ran into trouble in the third.
Georgia broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the frame when leadoff hitter Jaydyn Goodwin launched her ninth home run of the season over the right-field wall.
It didn't take long for Florida to respond, and it came courtesy of the team’s hottest hitter, redshirt freshman left fielder Townsen Thomas in the top of the fourth.
It has been quite the week for Thomas. Her game-clinching catch against Florida State on Tuesday checked in at No. 2 on Wednesday’s SportsCenter Top 10 plays. Entering the series on a 12-game hitting streak, she extended it, tying the game with her fifth home run of the season.
The Gators weren’t finished. Senior shortstop Kenleigh Cahalan drew a walk, setting the stage for junior designated player Ava Brown, who broke the tie. Brown launched Florida’s second home run of the inning into left-center, putting the Gators ahead 3-1.
Holding a comfortable advantage, Rothrock issued a leadoff walk to Marisa Miller in the bottom half of the fourth, and it proved costly. Georgia’s home run leader, Keirstin Roose, capitalized by launching her 14th homer of the season to tie the game.
In the top of the sixth, Florida looked to reclaim the lead. Thomas reached on a bunt single, and a base hit by Brown moved her to third. Senior Giulia Desiderio was called upon for the second straight game in a pinch-hit opportunity, but couldn’t deliver, popping out in foul territory.
Rothrock looked to secure her 26th win of the season, but it didn’t come without late drama in the bottom of the seventh. Emily Digby singled to right field, and moments later, Goodwin recorded her second hit of the night, putting two runners aboard with two outs.
But Rothrock shut the door and induced a groundout to second baseman Comia that ended the game.
Game 2 of the series is set for Friday, with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. at Jack Turner Softball 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.
