Brown & Rothrock Combine for One-Hit Performance in Season Opener
Tonight’s one-hitter thrown by Ava Brown and Keagan Rothrock is only the second combined one-hitter thrown by a freshmen duo in program history.
TAMPA, Fla. – The University of Florida softball team opened up the 2024 season with a 1-0 victory over Oregon State behind a combined one-hit shutout hurled by a pair of freshmen pitchers in their collegiate debut Friday evening at the USF Softball Stadium.
The Gators (1-0) duo of Ava Brown and Keagan Rothrock combined for only the program’s second combined one-hitter thrown by a pair of freshmen. Brown (1-0) received the start in the circle and threw five innings against the Beavers (1-1) to earn her first career victory, while Rothrock made her collegiate debut in the top of the sixth inning and closed out the game with four total strikeouts for her first career save.
Brown was locked in a pitcher’s duel with Oregon State’s senior Logan Hulon (0-1) for a majority of the contest, but graduate senior Skylar Wallace broke up the no-hit effort by Hulon in the bottom of the third innings with a monster solo home run over the right field wall that gave UF a 1-0 lead.
Oregon State attempted to respond in the top of the fourth as Lici Campbell laced a double to right center field for a leadoff hit. The Beavers eventually loaded the bases with no outs, but Brown and the Gators defense clamped down as Brown forced back-to-back groundouts to the circle that retired the first runner at home plate and concluded the frame with a double play.
Brown stayed in to retire the side in order in the top of the fifth innings before she gave way to Rothrock in the top of the sixth inning. Rothrock’s collegiate debut included back-to-back strikeouts of the first two batters she faced and a popup to fellow freshman third baseman Ariel Kowalewski.
The Whiteland, Ind., native secured the win with a fly out and two more strikeouts in the seventh.
Florida continues play in the USF-Rawlings Invitational Saturday, Feb. 10, at 2 p.m. with a contest against Michigan and a follow up game at 7 p.m. against Illinois State.
Notables:
* Florida improved to 5-0 all-time against Oregon State with tonight’s win.
* Ava Brown and Keagan Rothrock hurled the program’s second combined one-hitter by a pair of UF freshmen in program history.
* Amanda Knowles and Mandy Schuerman completed the feat in a 2-0 win against Ole Miss back in April 6, 2002.
* Another interesting note is that Knowles and another fellow freshman Brittani Houghton are the only freshman duo to throw a combined no-hitter in program history, which occurred in during the season opener back in Feb. 8, 2002 in a 10-0 win against North Carolina.
* Skylar Wallace (2-for-3) notched her first multi-hit game of the year and first home run of the season in tonight’s win.
* Korbe Otis (1-for-3) notched her first hit as a Gator with a double to right center field in the top of the sixth inning.
* Jocelyn Erickson picked off her first runner of the year as she erased an Oregon baserunner at first base in the second inning.
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