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Although the Gators put up 10 runs, the true standout player of the softball game was in the circle Saturday at Jane B. Moore Field in Auburn, Ala.
In her first start in more than a month, Keagan Rothrock blanked the Tigers in leading Florida to a 10-0 win in six innings to secure the series. It’s the Gators’ 20th run-rule victory this season and their sixth consecutive series win against Auburn.
Pitching Dominance
Though it wasn’t a complete game shutout, Rothrock (9-1) did most of the heavy lifting for the Gators.
The sophomore was lights-out in her first start since Feb. 22 against Grand Canyon. She fought for 4.2 innings, surrendering zero runs while notching seven strikeouts, matching her season-high in her return from injury.
The biggest challenge Rothrock faced came in the fourth inning when two Auburn runners were in scoring position, but Rothrock dug deep, found her focus and managed to retire the side with three consecutive outs.
Freshman Katelynn Oxley came in as relief and was just as efficient, completely stifling the Tigers (22-13, 0-11) and holding them to zero hits.
Florida (31-5, 5-3 SEC) has been struggling with pitching recently, forcing the team to rely heavily on its bats; Rothrock’s return to the bullpen should help alleviate some of UF’s challenges in the circle and provide much-needed depth.
Offense Rebounds
The Gators continued their small-ball approach against the Tigers.
While Rylee Holtorf got things started with a two-run blast in the second inning — her third of the year — Florida spent the rest of the game chipping away at Auburn, avoiding reliance on power and capitalizing on an error-laden day by the Tigers.
Most of the scoring came in the fourth inning, where the Gators sent 10 batters to the plate. Korbe Otis was the first to round all the bases following an error by second baseman Rose Roach. That single error then snowballed into four more runs for Florida after pitcher Haley Rainey issued three consecutive walks and a single, increasing the lead to 6-0.
Over the next two frames, the Gators would finally cross the run-rule threshold, playing more station-to-station softball to tack on four more runs and seal the victory.
Overall, just five of Florida’s runs were earned, capitalizing on Auburn’s two errors to seize control of the game. The Gators also displayed excellent plate discipline, drawing 10 walks over six innings. The Tigers have already issued 18 walks to UF in this series.
So far, this series has been a solid boost for Florida’s offense, as it has struggled to show the usual power at the plate recently. Holtorf and Otis each drove in two runs on the day. Meanwhile, Kendra Falby extended her 37-game hitting streak with two hits.
Up Next
The Gators look to sweep the series on Sunday at 12 p.m on SEC Network+.
