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Four lead changes, a 25-minute officials review call, a walk-off grand slam.
The No. 3 Gators had their first taste of extra-inning softball this season Saturday, and they made it a game to remember, besting the No. 12 Arkansas Razorbacks 10-7 in a nine-inning game of attrition at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. Florida also tied the series and snapped a two-game skid.
Back-and-Forth
A problem for UF these past couple of losses has been slow starts — when the lineup can’t put up runs right away, the Gators have a tendency to struggle gaining momentum.
Florida (34-7, 7-4 SEC) did everything right on paper against Arkansas (27-8, 7-7). It notched three quick runs in the first inning to overwhelm freshman pitcher Payton Burnham. Reagan Walsh went yard for the fifth time this season, the neon yellow ball clearing the left field fence by mere inches.
However, the rest of the game wasn’t nearly as straightforward.
Keagan Rothrock began to flounder in the third, along with the rest of the team. A few hits, an error and an Ella McDowell home run later, UF found itself down 4-3. The Razorbacks didn’t stop there, tacking on two more runs in the fourth, which prompted Rothrock’s removal from the game. It was a tough outing for her, giving up five earned runs on seven hits.
However, unlike Friday’s loss against Arkansas, the Gators refused to just sit there and take it.
The comeback began in the bottom of the fourth with walks to Walsh and Kenleigh Cahalan. Then, it was Mia Williams‘ turn at the plate — and she wasn’t settling for a stroll to first base. On a 3-2 count, she swung for the fences and connected, driving in three runs on her 12th homer of the year to tie things at 6-all.
https://twitter.com/GatorsSB/status/1908634201173225665
Neither team managed to make much headway over the next few frames, and the Gators found themselves heading into extra innings for the first time this season.
Extra-Innings Controversy
The beginning of the eighth inning was nothing unusual. The Razorbacks quickly placed two runners on first and second, putting the Gators in a tight spot with no outs.
Karlie Davison then executed what appeared to be a flawless sac bunt, with the Gators getting the throw to first to tag her out. However, a controversial missed call from the umpire, who believed Davison had been hit by the pitch, triggered a 25-minute review which left players bewildered and the crowd furious as the umpires gathered to consult the rulebook, scratching their heads in confusion.
In the end, the ruling on the field was neither upheld nor overturned. Instead, the umpires decided that, despite Davison not being hit by the pitch, Arkansas would have the bases loaded with no outs.
Gator fans were incensed, but none more so than coach Tim Walton. He charged toward the home-plate umpire for a conversation that quickly devolved into a heated shouting match. The altercation ended with Walton being ejected and the crowd raining down boos.
Tim Walton, Florida Softball coach, sat through nearly 30 minutes of a delay for the NCAA to make a call before getting tossedpic.twitter.com/FYar5IpgGq
— Collin Wilson (@_Collin1) April 5, 2025
It was a controversial call that resulted in a tough break for the Gators. But in one of the most nerve-wracking moments of the season, Ava Brown (9-0) calmly retired the side in order, getting the team out of the inning unscathed.
Though Arkansas would retake the lead on a solo homer by freshman Bri Ellis in the top of the ninth, the Gators weren’t ready to give up, hopped up on their own momentum. After jamming the bases, Korbe Otis walked up to the plate and played hero. One swing, four runs, grand slam. Gators win, 10-7.
https://twitter.com/GatorsSB/status/1908676592865333261
Takeaways
Ultimately, a call that went against UF acted as the team’s biggest turning point.
After a handful of losses where the Gators couldn’t get any momentum going, they were able to fight back to get the win. It’s the team’s first walk off since Skyler Wallace at Ole Miss on April 28, 2023.
