WHAT HAPPENED: Florida sophomore catcher Jocelyn Erickson<https://floridagators.com/sports/softball/roster/jocelyn-erickson/16559> had four RBI, including a three-run homer, and the fourth-seeded Gators survived their Sunday night elimination game in the Women’s College World Series with a 6-4 victory over rival and 14th-seeded Crimson Tide at Devon Park.
The win moved UF into the WCWS semifinals for the first time since 2017. Erickson, the Oklahoma transfer and 2024 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, came into the game with just one hit over the last two weekends, but made up for lost time. She knocked in the first of UF’s two runs in the third inning to help the Gators flip a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead. That RBI was Erickson’s 81st of the season and set a single-season program record. She added to the mark with her two-out, two-on blast – her 14th of the season – over the centerfield wall for a 6-2 lead in Florida sixth.
UF freshman pitcher Keagan Rothrock<https://floridagators.com/sports/softball/roster/keagan-rothrock/16558> needed the cushion, as the Tide rallied for a pair of runs behind four singles in their sixth, but were set down 1-2-3 in the seventh. For Rothrock (32-8), it was a nice bounce-back performance after lasting just 14 pitches less than 24 hours earlier in a 10-0 run-rule loss to top-seeded Texas. In starting her 12th consecutive game, Rothrock notched her eighth complete postseason game, allowed three earned runs to go with five strikeouts and one walk.
She had help, as UF finished with 10 hits on the night. Designated player Reagan Walsh<https://floridagators.com/sports/softball/roster/reagan-walsh/16247> had two RBI and left fielder Korbe Otis<https://floridagators.com/sports/softball/roster/korbe-otis/16600>, the Louisville transfer, reached base four times and scored three runs for the Gators, who tallied just one run and three hits in their first two WCWS games.
PLAY OF THE GAME: Erickson’s homerun, a no-doubter, gave the Gators that four-run lead and Rothrock some margin for error … which she needed.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The Florida offense. Finally. After combining for just two hits in the first two WCWS games, the Gators matched that through six batters Sunday. They still, however, need to get a couple of their big guns going – Skylar Wallace<https://floridagators.com/sports/softball/roster/skylar-wallace/16246> and Kendra Falby<https://floridagators.com/sports/softball/roster/kendra-falby/16241> are a combined 1-for-16 in Oklahoma City – and situational-hit better after leaving seven runners on base to have any shot in the next round. Read on.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: Falby actually made an error, which qualifies as “Breaking News” for the 2024 Rawlings Gold Glove recipient. Falby, with a handful of brilliant defensive plays the last several weeks, came into the game fielding at a .992 efficiency on the season, but uncharacteristically dropped a routine fly ball that led to a first-inning Alabama run. The error was just her second in 121 chances this season and first in 41 games, dating to the March 11 loss (ironically) at Alabama.
NOTABLES:
* Jocelyn Erickson tied the game 1-1 in the top of the third with her 81st RBI of the year. The RBI broke the UF single-season record for RBI previously held by Megan Bush (80 – 2011).
* She extended the lead out to 6-2 and her RBI total out to 84 with a three-run home run to center in the sixth inning. It was her 14th home run of the year.
* Erickson’s four RBI are tied for the most RBI in a single game at the WCWS by a Gator since Chelsea Herndon’s four-RBI against Baylor in 2014.
* Ariel Kowalewski turned in the first multi-hit of the 2024 Women’s College World Series for Florida after going 2-for-4 with a pair of singles and Otis followed suit with her second hit in the top of the fifth and ended the game 2-for-3.
* Florida is the first team since Washington (2009) to reach the WCWS returning 0.0 innings pitched from the previous season.
* The win also marks the first NCAA semifinals appearance for the program since the 2017 season.
UP NEXT: Florida (53-14) is the WCWS semifinals. That’s the good news. Very good news. The bad news is No. 2 Oklahoma (53-6), the three-time reigning NCAA champion (and Erickson’s former team), will be waiting for them, with the Gators having to defeat the Sooners – and their decisive homefield advantage, just 30 minutes from the Norman campus – twice Monday to reach the national-championship series. The first game is scheduled for noon (ET) on ESPN.
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