Many fans expected a pitcher’s duel in the rubber match on Sunday and that unfolded. In the circle, Tennessee’s Karlyn Pickens and Florida’s Keagan Rothrock dueled it out.
With the game all square at two and with arguably the best pitcher in the nation, Karlyn Pickens, in the circle, it appeared that she would continue her excellence and lock down the Florida offense.
The two-run surge was enough as No. 5 Florida (29-2, SEC 6-1) fell to No. 1 Tennessee (28-1, SEC 6-1) 2-1 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium on Friday. The loss marks the sixth straight against the Lady Volunteers for the Gators.
After two sweeps against Missouri and Kentucky to begin conference play, the No. 5 Florida Gators are about to face their toughest test this season: the No. 1 Tennessee Lady Volunteers.
Behind the duo’s performance, No. 5 Florida (45-7) completed the season sweep over No. 22 Central Florida (36-14-1) with its second 7-0 win over the Knights. The Knights were held scoreless for only the fourth time this season.
Holding a narrow 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth, Florida knew it needed insurance and a five-run frame delivered just that.
On a windy day in Lexington, Kentucky, the Gators completed their sweep of the Kentucky Wildcats behind a surge of runs.
Senior Jocelyn Erickson has had a decorated collegiate career thus far. But the 2024 NFCA Division I Softball Player of the Year and SEC Player of the Year has turned it up a whole other notch in 2026.
Holding a narrow 3-1 lead, Florida looked to add on insurance in the top of the sixth inning. The Gators put up seven runs to do just that.
Behind Erickson’s excellence, No. 5 Florida (26-1, SEC 3-0) completed the sweep against Missouri (7-16, SEC 0-3) on Monday night. The victory marks the first time since the Texas A&M sweep in May of 2024 that Florida has swept an SEC foe at home.
In front of a rowdy crowd at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium, the Gators were in trouble. Down to its last three outs, Florida needed one run to tie things up and look to remain undefeated at home. Up stepped senior Jocelyn Erickson.
In a sold-out Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium, the first SEC matchup of the season for Florida had all the fixings of a marquee matchup.
The dominant start propelled No. 4 Florida (23-1) to a 21-1 rout of Oregon State (9-10) on Saturday afternoon at Anderson Family Field. The Gators finish non-conference play 23-1 heading into SEC play next weekend.
After a three-hour-long slugfest loss against UCLA, Florida had to regroup after its first loss of the year.
After a smooth sailing start to the season, it was only a matter of time before the undefeated Gators faced real adversity. And that is what happened on Friday afternoon.
The explosive opening frame fueled No. 4 Florida’s (21-0) domination over East Texas A&M (5-13) on Thursday night at Anderson Family Field. Thursday marked the first time the two programs have met on the diamond.
A homecoming is special for any player, but performing well makes it even sweeter. For sophomore Taylor Shumaker, that was certainly the case Thursday night.
After a remarkable start to the season, the Gators face their toughest stretch yet this weekend at the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, California.
It’s evident that heading into 2026, the strongest unit on the Florida softball team was in the circle. Over the weekend, it showed. Over the five-game stretch, the pitching staff hurled four shutouts.
The fifth inning run resurgence powered No. 4 Florida (18-0) over Longwood (1-11) 12-4 on Saturday at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. Florida recorded its fifth consecutive run-rule win.
Solutions by The State News
