Following a 3-1 loss against Florida State, the Gators looked to flip the script against their in-state rival in the final home match of the regular season.
Behind a statement pitching performance by Keagan Rothrock and Olivia Miller, the Florida Gators (46-7) took a 4-3 victory over Florida State (43-8) on Tuesday night at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
However, Florida State jumped ahead early. The Seminoles took a 2-0 lead in the second inning with an RBI single from freshman middle infielder Hayley Griggs and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Isa Torres.
It didn’t take long for the Gators to respond. Taylor Shumaker drove in a run with an RBI double, and freshman Townsen Thomas followed with an RBI single that tied the game 2-2 in the third.
“My teammates and I are trained for these moments," Thomas said.
Fueled by that momentum, Florida stood strong in the fourth inning, clinching a 3-2 lead on another RBI single. But Florida State quickly tied the game at three in the fifth after a sacrifice fly from Anna Hinde.
Then, the Gators put their foot down. Giulia Desiderio delivered an RBI single that regained the lead for Florida.
UF dominated the remainder of the game and relied on its pitching staff to hold the lead.
Keagan Rothrock’s performance was crucial to Florida’s win in the final innings. The junior allowed two hits, one run and struck out two to drive the Gators to victory.
“[Torres] is probably the best hitter in the country,” Rothrock said. “And good for you, but I’m going to get you this week.”
The FSU shortstop went 0-3 on the night.
Florida leaned on its defense to close out the one-run win, and Thomas made a diving grab in left to seal the 4-3 win for Florida.
The victory marked UF’s first at home over the Seminoles since a 5-0 win in 2021.
Next, Florida heads on the road for its last conference series of the season. UF will face No. 13 Georgia in Athens with first pitch set for 6 p.m. on Thursday.
Contact Sofia Alamo at salamo@alligator.org. Follow her on X @alamosofiaa.
Sofia Alamo is a Sports Journalism freshman at UF and the university’s Women’s Tennis beat reporter. Her favorite sports are soccer and tennis, and she aspires to be a sports broadcaster in the future.
