No. 4 Gators Softball Mercy-Rules UNF

The Gators kicked off their season against the Ospreys back in February, coming out firing on all cylinders with an 8-0 win in just five innings.

On Thursday, UF hit copy-paste.

The No. 4 Florida Gators defeated the North Florida Ospreys 8-0 in a five-inning run-rule victory to extend their winning streak against UNF to 18-0. It is the Gators’ 19th mercy-rule of the season, and their first since March 8’s game against Texas A&M.

Bats Come Alive

Florida’s (30-4, 3-3 SEC) batters had difficulty making solid contact against Jacksonville, managing just five runs on four hits— an uncharacteristically quiet performance from one of the nation’s best offenses.

The Gators returned to form against UNF (23-10, 3-0 ASUN), edging to a 2-0 lead after three innings before breaking the game open in the fourth with back-to-back home runs from Mia Williams and Ava Brown, who had also gone deep against the Dolphins.

B2B BOMB 💣 x @avajbrownn

📺 https://t.co/tUU7Hs0kPJ (ESPN+) pic.twitter.com/gQ3cmd5JVU

— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) March 20, 2025

After a couple of walks, the bases were loaded for Florida in the fifth. It was Taylor Shumaker who delivered the final blow, lining a base hit through the infield with the bases loaded to push the Gators into run-rule territory. While the freshman slugger couldn’t add to her home run count, she batted in three runs, extending her team-leading RBI total to 52.

Meanwhile, junior Jocelyn Erickson drove in two runs of her own, going 2-for-2 on the night. Erickson also delivered a great defensive performance, tagging out two Ospreys at home to keep the shutout intact.

Magic in the Circle

Since Keagan Rothrock‘s injury, pitcher Katelynn Oxley has been thrust into a more challenging role. So far, she has handled the pressure with poise.

The freshman delivered yet another solid performance for the Gators, throwing for the complete-game shutout while surrendering only three hits; all of those hits came late in the game.

This marks Oxley’s first time pitching three or more innings without allowing any runs since her start against FGCU on February 26.

Takeaways

The Gators desperately needed this type of performance after the slow-burn tilt against Jacksonville and the disappointing series loss against Texas. In both instances, Florida’s offense struggled.

With this win, Florida now enters their six-day break on a three-game winning streak, carrying the momentum for their midweek match-up against UCF.

Coming Up

The team will face off against UCF in Orlando next Wednesday for their second matchup of the season against the Knights.

ESPN+ will broadcast the game at 6 p.m.