Three different Gators combined for five home runs on Saturday.
PHONEIX, Az. – The No. 3 Florida softball team (17-1) combined for five home runs in a pair of victories over New Mexico State, 12-1, and GCU, 6-4, at GCU Softball Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Juniors Kenleigh Cahalan and Jocelyn Erickson each slugged a pair of home runs on the day, while Korbe Otis smacked her third of the year against the Antelopes.
Cahalan’s home run was her first career grand slam and Florida’s fourth this season.
Erickson had three hits against New Mexico State and two of them were home runs, combining for five RBI in the game.
In the circle, freshman Katelynn Oxley made her Florida pitching debut, picking up a win in the Gators’ run-rule victory over the Aggies.
In game two against GCU, sophomore Keagan Rothrock (8-1) earned her eighth win and sophomore Ava Brown recorded Florida’s first save of the season.
NOTABLES:
* Erickson hit a team-best .800 (4-for-5) on Saturday with two home runs, five RBI and three walks
* Cahalan, who led the team with six RBI on the day, matched her career-best of four RBI against GCU
* The Gators have 10 run-rule victories this season
* Florida now has nine multi-home run games this season, including in three of the last four games. The Gators have hit at least one home run in all but three games this season
* The Gators have hit four grand slams: two from Rylee Holtorf (Feb. 11 vs. Jacksonville, Feb. 21 vs. California Baptist), one from Reagan Walsh (Feb. 8 vs. Michigan) and one from Kenleigh Cahalan (Feb. 22 vs. GCU)
* Cahalan’s grand slam was the first of her career. She has now hit three home runs as a Gator and 12 in her career
* Erickson’s two home runs vs. New Mexico State is the second time in her career that she has slugged two home runs in the same game. The last time was at Mississippi State on March 29, 2024
* Oxley pitched four innings in her collegiate debut, allowing just two hits, a walk and a hit by pitch with three strikeouts
* The Gators improved to 3-0 all-time over New Mexico State and won their first-ever meeting with the Antelopes
* 10 different Gators have hit a combined 31 home runs: Taylor Shumaker (10), Mia Williams (4), Jocelyn Erickson (4), Korbe Otis (3), Reagan Walsh (2), Kendra Falby (1), Rylee Holtorf (2), Gabi Comia (1), Kenleigh Cahalan (1) and Cassidy McLellan (1)
* Brown’s save against GCU was the third of her career and first since May 10, 2024 vs. Georgia in the SEC Tournament. She allowed just one hit in two innings of work with two strikeouts against GCU
* Kendra Falby had one stolen base in each game on Saturday, improving to 17-17 in stolen base attempts this season. The senior is two stolen bases shy of 100 in her career
* All five of Florida’s pitchers have recorded victories this season: Rothrock (8-1), Brown (4-0), Hammock (3-0), Olivia Miller (1-0) and Oxley (1-0)
* Freshman Makenna Bellaire recorded her first career hit vs. New Mexico State, a single
* Freshman Taylor Shumaker, who went 2-for-2 against the Aggies, tallied her first career triple vs. New Mexico State
Up Next:
The Gators cap off their trip to Arizona on Sunday with a 11 a.m. ET match up with Iowa State at GCU Stadium.
###
