No. 4 Florida Softball Takes Game One At Auburn

The No. 4 Florida Gators softball team took care of business Friday night at Auburn by beating the Tigers, 11-7.

got it done. #GoGators | Presented by @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/4VucQAoeFj

— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) March 29, 2025

Drawing First Blood

After a goose egg first inning, Alabama native Kenleigh Cahalan opened the scoring with a solo shot to start the second. Auburn pitcher Haley Rainey recovered, forcing a groundout, before giving up a pair of walks. With runners on, a costly error by the Tigers allowed another run to score and put two Gators in scoring position.

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Taylor Shumaker brought in another on a sacrifice fly to give Florida a 3-0 lead before Auburn could get out of the inning.

Clawing Back

The Tigers  (22-12, 0-10 SEC) chipped into the Gators (31-5, 4-3) lead, bringing in a run in the bottom of the second inning. They kept the Gators scoreless in the third, allowing just four plate appearances. Florida’s struggles at the plate in the inning quickly spread to the defense. The team allowed two runs to score on a fielding error that tied the game, 3-3.

The tie didn’t last long. Reagan Walsh singled with runners on in the top of the fourth, bringing in Taylor Shumaker and capturing a one-run lead.

A 4-3 final score might sound like an entertaining game. But, SEC softball wouldn’t be satisfied with that. Both offenses ramped up in the fifth inning, scoring four runs a piece. Rylee Holtorf and Taylor Shumaker hit RBI doubles in the inning while Walsh picked up another RBI single.

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Kendra Falby also picked up an RBI on a groundout. Heading into the final two innings, the Gators led by just one run, 8-7.

A one run lead, however, was not enough for Mia Williams. The sophomore led off the sixth with a solo shot to increase the Gators lead. With the bases loaded later in the inning, a wild pitch brought in another run to make it 10-7. Florida allowed just one hit for no score in the bottom of the inning to keep the margin comfortable.

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And, just for good measure, the Gators knocked in another run in the seventh. Ava Brown retired the side in the bottom of the inning to secure the win.

Takeaways

Florida’s bats are certainly coming out of their slump. After putting up no runs in their loss against UCF, the Gators proved that they’re lineup is still one of the best in the country in this one. However, the defensive play was decent at best and sloppy at worst. Florida struggled to back up its pitchers, especially freshman Katelynn Oxley. If it hopes to remain competitive in SEC play, the team’s defense needs a major tune-up. There is still no word on ace Keagan Rothrock, who the Gators relied on in the postseason last year. This is a golden opportunity for the team to develop defensively before heading into the postseason. If they can figure out their defense, the Gators should be able to stay successful against conference opponents.

Up Next

The Gators and Tigers will be back in the ring for round two Saturday. First pitch will be at 3 p.m. The game is available to watch on SEC Network+.