Gators Softball Hosts South Carolina

Florida softball is back at home to take on South Carolina (29-15, 5-10 SEC) in a three-game series beginning Friday. The No. 10 Gators look to bounce back after losing their first SEC series against the Missouri Tigers last weekend.

https://twitter.com/GatorsSB/status/1781105445748273376

Series History

Florida holds the all-time record in meetings with the Gamecocks 54-22.

However, South Carolina took the series last season, winning Games 1 and 3 in Columbia. Gamecocks head coach Beverly Smith said Thursday her team can pull out a win again this year if it prevents free passes.

Weekend Defeats

Neither the Gators nor the Gamecocks won their respective series last weekend. Florida (35-9) lost Games 1 and 2 on the road against Missouri, while South Carolina lost its first and third at home against Arkansas.

South Carolina has lost all but one series this season.

Breaking a three-game losing streak, the Gators took the third game of the series, preventing the Tigers from achieving the sweep. The 3-1 victory was highlighted by Florida freshman pitcher Ava Brown‘s 10th home run of the season.

Two-run homer for Ava ✈️ #GoGators | @Dream_Finders pic.twitter.com/IEwL6FnrXE

— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) April 14, 2024

Florida and South Carolina each didn’t play a midweek game.

Pitching Duels

Freshman Keagan Rothrock continues to lead the Gators in pitching, recording a 1.99 ERA in 148 total innings of work.

While the Gators are led by young talent on the mound, South Carolina is an older team with plenty of experience.

In her first year at South Carolina, fifth-year pitcher Alana Vawter leads the team in games played and games started with 32 and 15, respectively. She has a 12-8 record and a 1.88 ERA.

Smith attributed the Gamecocks’ defensive success to the way that Vawter pitches.

Looking Forward

The Gators stand in third in the league with a 10-5 record in SEC play.

South Carolina is 10th of the 14 teams in the conference. Smith said her team has yet to click in competition, as it does in practice.

First pitch of Game 1 of of the series in Gainesville begins Friday at 6 p.m.