Trailing by two runs to start the game, the Florida Gators looked for a response in the bottom of the first inning.
Freshman outfielder Taylor Shumaker stepped up to the plate with a runner on first and no outs. With one swing of the bat, Shumaker etched herself into Florida program history, slicing a two-run home run to opposite field.
The long ball marked her 20th home run this season, the most by a freshman in Gators program history.
The Florida Gators (45-14) defeated the Florida Atlantic Owls (45-11) 14-6 Saturday afternoon at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. It took just five innings after UF junior catcher Jocelyn Erickson crushed a walkoff grand slam to left-center field to end the contest.
Now, Florida is just one win away from advancing to the Super Regional. The Gators will play at 1 p.m. Sunday against an opponent to be determined.
"They punched, we punched back,” UF head coach Tim Walton said. “It was a good game."
The Owls struck first in the top of the first inning when FAU sophomore first baseman Bella Cimino hit an RBI double to take a 2-0 lead.
However, the lead was short-lived when Shumaker came to the plate in the bottom of the first inning and rocked a pitch past the left field wall.
“I am not a home run hitter,” she said. ”I’ve tried to not worry about the numbers, just making sure I’m doing my job to help my team score runs.”
The score stalled until Cimino took advantage of Gators right-handed pitcher Keagan Rothrock once again, blasting a solo shot to left field to take a 3-2 lead.
The Owls continued to punish Rothrock until she was eventually taken out in the top of the fifth inning. She finished her outing giving up six earned runs, two home runs and eight hits.
However, Florida held a comfortable lead before Walton relieved Rothrock in the fifth inning.
Sophomore pitcher Ava Brown quickly put the Gators back on top in the 4th inning, hitting a two-run home run to give the Gators a 4-3 advantage. UF continued to widen the gap when Shumaker hit her second home run of the game, this time a three-run shot that put the Gators up 7-3.
Down four runs entering the fifth inning, the Owls quickly responded. With two runners on base, junior catcher Chloe Yeatts stepped to the plate and hit a three-run shot, bringing Florida Atlantic within one, 7-6.
Brown came in relief in the top of the fifth for a struggling Rothrock and got the Gators out of the inning.
With bases loaded, senior outfielder Kendra Falby stepped to the plate and hit a two-run single up the middle to bring the score to 8-6. Then, Erickson fired her first career grand slam, walking off the game for the Gators.
“I was just trying to do whatever I could do for my team,” Erickson said. “I didn't even realize that it was the game ending, but I was just excited running around the bases.”
It marked Erickson’s second game winning walk off during the weekend.
“I mean, our team got just as excited for Jocelyn’s home run as they did for the hit by pitch,” Walton said. “I think they're just celebrating the little things, it's a big deal.”
The Florida Gators are one win away from punching their ticket to the Super Regionals round. Florida will resume play at 1 p.m. Sunday against an opponent to be determined.
Contact Casey Godwin Godcasey11@gmail.com. Follow him on X @Godcasey5UF.
