Florida Softball Beats Florida State 15-13 In Extra Innings

The No. 11 Florida Gators softball team beat the No. 12 Florida Seminoles 15-13 in nine innings Wednesday night at JoAnne Graf Field in Tallahassee.

The Gators (40-12) put a halt to the Seminoles’ six-game winning streak in the series, their first win against the ‘Noles (40-11) since March 5, 2021.

A Kendra Falby solo home run in the ninth inning helped the Gators stop the Seminoles’ 14-game winning streak overall. Falby had five hits and four RBIs on the night.

Rematch win secured‼️#GoGators | Presented by @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/CEN850Z5k2

— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) May 2, 2024

Gator Bats Erupt

Florida scored 15 runs on Florida State, which had to go through four pitchers.

The Gators started the scoring in the top of the first with a Reagan Walsh RBI single to make it 2-0.

After FSU tied the game at two, the Gators scored two more runs off a Falby RBI single and a Skylar Wallace RBI groundout.

Florida scored seven runs after FSU tied the game at four. Korbe Otis hit an RBI double to restore the lead and a Jocelyn Erickson two-run home run (her 11th) made it 7-4. Falby hit a two-run single to make it 9-4 in the top of the fifth. Otis and Wallace followed with back-to-back sacrifice flies to make it 11-4. Otis hit a two-run home run in the seventh (her 7th) to make it 13-7.

FSU tied the game with six runs in the seventh inning before Falby hit her first home run of the season to give the Gators a 14-13 lead in the ninth.

The Gators padded their lead with a bases-loaded walk later in the inning for the final margin.

https://twitter.com/GatorsSB/status/1785860113661571293

Pitching Woes Strike Again

Florida starter Keagan Rothrock (21-6) gave up nine runs (eight earned) against the Seminoles. Rothrock exited the game after five innings and gave up seven runs. She had three strikeouts. Ava Brown came in and pitched 1.1 innings and gave up four runs. However, Rothrock came back in and she surrendered the game-tying runs.

After the Gators took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, Jaysoni Beachum hit a two-run home run to tie the game. Kaley Mudge hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second to make it 4-3, after the Gators scored two more runs. Kalei Harding hit a solo home run in the bottom of the third to tie the game.

Down 11-4, FSU put together a rally. Jahni Kerr hit a two-run home run and Isa Torres had an RBI walk. Mudge hit an RBI single to make it 13-8. Beachum reached on an error to make it a 13-10 game. Harding then hit a three-run home run (her second of the game) to make it 13-13.

https://twitter.com/FSU_Softball/status/1785822999008194891

Up Next

The Gators (14-7 SEC) host Texas A&M (39-19, 15-6 SEC) for their final regular-season series of the season. This series will be crucial, with both teams battling for first place in the SEC. First pitch Friday is scheduled for 7 p.m. The game will be televised on SEC Network+.