No. 17 Florida Splits with Wolverines & Redbirds at USF-Rawlings Invitational
The Gators offense exploded for 13 hits and 12 runs in the evening game against Illinois State and freshman right-hander Keagan Rothrock hurled a one-hitter against Michigan.
TAMPA, Fla. – The Florida softball team split a pair of games with Michigan and Illinois State on the second day of the USF-Rawlings Invitational at the USF Softball Stadium Saturday.
The Gators (2-1) and the Wolverines (3-1) started the afternoon with a pitcher’s duel that concluded in the program’s first extra inning game of the season. Freshman right-hander Keagan Rothrock (0-1) picked up her first career start and turned in a complete-game one-hitter despite receiving the loss in extra innings.
Michigan attempted to take an early lead in the top of the first inning via a single to center field, but Kendra Falby foiled the effort as she threw out the runner with a strong throw to catcher Jocelyn Erickson from center field.
The scoreless tie wouldn’t be broken until extra innings as Rothrock and Wolverines’ starter Lauren Derkowski (2-0) dueled for the entirety of the contest. Michigan broke the tie in the top of the ninth when they scored the first run of the game on a sacrifice bunt and throwing error.
The Orange & Blue responded immediately in the bottom of the frame to tie the game 1-1 thanks to freshman Ava Brown’s RBI single up the middle that scored Korbe Otis from second base. Michigan scored the final run of the game in the top of the 10th inning via an RBI groundout to first.
Florida bounced back in the second game of the day against the Redbirds (0-5) and pounded out 13 hits in the effort.
The Orange & Blue jumped out onto the scoreboard immediately 1-0 in the first inning of play via an RBI single up the middle by Skylar Wallace that scored Kendra Falby, who reached on a leadoff infield single to second base.
The Gators tacked on two more runs in the top of the second inning to go ahead 3-0 thanks to Ariel Kowalewski’s first collegiate home run and Falby’s RBI double to left center that scored Katie Kistler.
UF’s offense broke open the game in the top of the third inning with six runs scored to take a 9-0 lead over the Redbirds. Reagan Walsh started the rally with a towering solo home run over the left field wall, which was followed up by a double from starting pitcher Ava Brown (2-0), a single from Kowalewski and Mia Williams reached on a fielding error by the shortstop.
Falby stepped into the batter’s box with the bases loaded and sent the first offering from the pitcher down the left field line for a three-RBI double. Wallace scored Falby later in the frame from third base and Erickson notched an RBI single up the middle to score Wallace.
Florida pushed the lead out to 10-0 in the top of the fourth via a throwing error that scored Avery Goelz and a solo home run in the top of the fifth inning from Otis that extended the lead out to 11-0 and freshman Cassidy McLellan closed out the scoring for UF with her first collegiate hit that went down as an infield RBI single that scored Wallace from third.
Starting right-handed pitcher Ava Brown (2-0) held the Redbirds to just one hit before being relieved by fellow freshman Olivia Miller at the start of the bottom of the fourth inning. Illinois State then broke up the shutout in the bottom of the fifth inning via a string of singles and a fielder’s choice RBI with two outs off reliever Mackenzie Wooten.
The Gators return to action Sunday, Feb. 11, with a doubleheader against Bethune-Cookman at 12 p.m. and USF at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
Notables:
* Freshman Keagan Rothrock received her first collegiate start in the circle for the Gators against Michigan and the right-hander tallied 10 innings of work.
* Rothrock’s one-hit performance is the 87th complete-game one-hitter in program history.
* Ariel Kowalewski tallied her first career hit as a Gator and ended the game against the Wolverines with her first career multi-hit game going 2-for-4.
* Kowalewski went on to hit her first career home run in the top of the second inning in the win against Illinois State and finished that game 2-for-3 at the plate.
* Overall, Kowalewski hit 4-for-7 with an RBI and two runs scored.
* Ava Brown notched her first career hit as a Gator in the bottom of the ninth inning when she registered and RBI single up the middle that tied the game 1-1.
* Brown received her second career victory in the circle in the following game against Illinois State and only gave up one hit through three innings pitched.
* Kendra Falby tied her career-high of four RBI in tonight’s win over the Redbirds as she went 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored.
* Cassidy McLellan secured her first collegiate hit with an infield RBI single that scored Wallace in the top of the fifth inning.
* Korbe Otis hit her first home run as a Gator with a home run to right center field in the top of the fifth inning.
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