Gators Softball Shuts Out UNF In Season Opener

The No. 3 Florida Gators softball team opened its season with an 8-0 win Thursday against the North Florida Ospreys at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

The Gators chased Ospreys starting pitcher Taylor Cook out of the circle and burned through North Florida’s bullpen to trigger the run-rule in front of a home crowd of 1,538.

Florida wasted no time getting started, with Kendra Falby fighting back from being down in the count to draw a walk. Kolbe Otis followed with a no-doubter to left field to give Florida a two-run lead at the end of the first inning.

B1 | FIRST KNOCK OF THE SEASON 💣

Gators 2 | Ospreys 0#GoGators | @korbeotis pic.twitter.com/ZjOvxIzv09

— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) February 6, 2025

Cook issued a hit-by-pitch and a walk to consecutive Gators batters in the next inning. Taylor Shumaker took advantage, hitting a home run to tack on three RBI in her first start to make it 5-0.

Shumaker said she only realized what she had done when she rounded third base and saw her teammates cheering for her:

The rest of the game followed a similar rhythm, with Gators batters overwhelming the Ospreys.

Falby reached base again in the fourth, speeding to the bag to force an error by North Florida. After advancing to third base on a groundout and wild pitch, Falby scored when Ospreys catcher Mackenzie Woods couldn’t corral a wild pitch, making it 6-0.

Reagan Walsh then added to the hitting-fest with a home run. She slammed the ball straight to center to increase the lead to eight, putting Florida in mercy-rule territory.

The Ospreys had one last chance to get some runs and extend the game, but Gators pitcher Ava Brown shut them down, collecting three quick outs to seal Florida’s victory.

Rothrock Dominates

Other than a shaky second inning, Gators starting pitcher Keagan Rothrock looked solid in the circle.

She allowed only two hits on 48 pitches, throwing four innings before being replaced by Brown. Rothrock was a cornerstone player for the team last season, leading the nation in innings pitched, games started and wins.

UF coach Tim Walton praised both Rothrock and Brown for their performances:

Up Next

The Gators head to Tampa for in the USF-Rawlings Invitational from Friday-Sunday, playing five games.

Sunday’s matinee matchup against USF will be on ESPN+ at 2:30 p.m. and tourney coverage on ESPN 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF starting at 11:40 a.m.