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The No. 2 Florida Gators softball team continued its winning ways by picking up a pair of wins and two complete game shutouts in the Bubly Invitational on Friday at Seashole Pressly Stadium.
The Gators (11-0) beat the Providence Friars 5-0 in game one of the doubleheader. In game two, the Gators beat the No. 15 Duke Blue Devils 9-0. Both Olivia Miller and Keagan Rothrock tossed complete game shutouts.
The Gators have outscored opponents 100-16 this season.
Game One – Florida 5, Providence 0
After Miller set the Friars (0-6) down in order to open the game and Providence starter Tori Grifone did the same to the Gators in the bottom of the first. It’s just the second time this season that the Gators failed to put up a run in the opening frame.
In the bottom of the third inning, freshman sensation Taylor Shumaker hit a bases-clearing double with the bases-loaded to break the scoring open. That was followed by an RBI triple from Jocelyn Erickson, the reigning SEC Softball Player of the Year, giving the Gators a 4-0 lead.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Erickson collected another RBI with a single that scored Shumaker, who had reached base with a double, her second extra-base hit of the day. That extended Florida’s lead to 5-0 with the final run of the game.
For the second time this season, Providence was held off the scoreboard. Miller (1-0) pitched all seven innings, recording six strikeouts while giving up just three hits and three walks. Miller had two complete games in three starts last season. It’s already Florida’s fifth shutout of the year.
“I knew my defense and offense was going to be really hot and really on top of things so I had all the faith in the world in them,” Miller said. “It gave me confidence.”
Grifone didn’t have her best stuff in the circle while pitching six innings and gave up five runs and 10 hits. The graduate student has had a tough start to her season, holding an 8.49 ERA and an 0-3 record.
Game Two – Florida 9, Duke 0
Both teams had their aces in the circle as Rothrock started for Florida while Cassidy Curd started for Duke (4-3).
The Gators got the scoring started early in the first inning when Shumaker hit her nation-leading eighth home run of the season in just her 11th collegiate game. The solo shot put the Gators up 1-0.
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Shumaker did not stop there. In the third inning, she recorded a two-run double to extend Florida’s lead to 3-0. Erickson then hit an RBI single to score Shumaker. After three frames, the Gators had seven hits and led 4-0.
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In the fourth inning, the Gators furthered the damage. Florida scored five runs to extend the lead to 9-0 with RBI singles coming from Shumaker and Kenleigh Cahalan.
Rothrock sealed the deal in the top of the fifth inning when the Gators notched their seventh run-rule. The 2024 SEC Freshman of the Year pitched five innings while giving up just two hits with five strikeouts.
“It was a lot of preparation and just also relying on my teammates as well,” Rothrock said. “Obviously as a pitcher, I need to rely on my offense, so just celebrating their wins at the plate … and also celebrating my defenses wins too, and then also just doing my job in the circle. It all kind of came together.”
Rothrock didn’t show any signs of fatigue after pitching for the third time in three days.
“It’s not hard … I love playing softball and I love my teammates,” Rothrock said. “I love my team and I love being a Gator. It just really makes it easy to go out there and just have fun.”
Curd had her worst start of the season after giving up eight hits and seven runs across three innings. Curd came into Friday’s game with a 1.47 ERA and two complete games.
All three of Duke’s losses this season have been against ranked opponents (No. 15 Missouri and No. 21 Northwestern). However, it’s the first time it has been shut out.
Shumaker Stays Hot, Shines in Doubleheader
Shumaker totaled four extra-base hits (two doubles, a triple and a home run) and seven RBIs in the twinbill.
“At the plate and in the outfield … it’s really great to have her out there,” Miller said when highlighting how Shumaker alleviates so much pressure from her. “She works so hard … that’s really awesome.”
Shumaker has a nation-leading 23 RBIs and 47 total bases on the season.
“She’s awesome, I love her,” Rothrock said. “She puts in so much work, too. She has the drive and she loves softball. For her, being a freshman … she is so smart. She has so much fun with it and she goes out there and does her thing. You would never know that she’s actually a freshman.”
Up Next
The Gators will have another doubleheader Saturday starting with Boston College at 11:30 a.m. followed by a showdown with Binghamton at 2 p.m.
