Once again for Florida softball, the pitching staff delivered.
The Gators used two pitchers on Sunday afternoon. Sophomore Katelynn Oxley got the start for Florida, as the Bartow, Florida, native tossed four innings with five strikeouts, allowing her lone run in the first inning.
Junior Ava Brown came on in relief for Florida and delivered a strong performance, closing out the game without allowing a baserunner.
This strong performance propelled the Gators to victory. No. 6 Florida defeats South Florida 6-1.
On day four of the USF-Rawlings Invitational. Florida swept the tournament for the second consecutive season.
Florida improved to 18–0 against USF on opening weekend, with the two programs now having met in Tampa during opening weekend for 13 consecutive seasons.
For the second time this weekend, Florida fell behind in the 1st inning. USF junior Alex Wilkes gave the Bulls the early lead with an RBI double.
Florida’s offense struggled out of the gate, managing just two hits through the first three innings.
That was until the 4th inning. Junior Cassidy McLellan delivered an RBI single down the left field line that tied the ballgame. Soon after, senior shortstop Kenleigh Cahalan walked with the bases loaded to give Florida a 2-1 lead.
Florida’s offense died down until the sixth when senior Jocelyn Erickson hit a double into left center, scoring two Gators.
Mississippi State transfer Ella Wesolowski notched her first home run for Florida in the top of the 7th. The junior had her first hit for the Gators earlier in the day.
No. 6 Florida returns to action Tuesday at Jacksonville University, with the first pitch set for 6 p.m.
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.
