GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) – After the thrilling series victory over No. 1 Tennessee over the weekend, the Gator softball team unexpectedly found themselves in a seven-inning fight with Stetson. Jocelyn Erickson at the plate was the difference maker to help Florida win 3- 2.
After a two-run shot by Stetson’s Irianis Garcia put the Gators in a 2-0 hole. It was Erickson’s bat that came alive with runners in scoring position. In the top of the third, Erickson blasted one to the right center fence and recorded the team’s first triple of the season and cut the lead to 1. Kendall Grover’s sacrifice fly follows to tie the game at 2.
After a pair of scoreless innings and some close calls saved by the likes of Olivia Miller who continues to be a solid No. 2 pitcher for the Gators.
Taylor Shumaker smacked a single to second to put the go-ahead run on for Erickson and once again, she came up in the clutch for the RBI double leading to Shumaker sliding safely home to take their first lead of the game.
Erickson said about her plate presence, “I was just trying to get some hits for my team. I was thinking ‘attack’ and trying to get any momentum going for my team, especially when Taylor would get on right before me.”
Keagan Rothrock recorded her second save of the year, fighting off a scoring situation for Stetson, ringing up back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.
Florida defeats Stetson for the 13th time in program history.
Erickson knows this game was a lesson for the weekend, “I think we just have to learn from our performance today. Yes, we got the job done, but we know we can do so much better. We just need to keep putting the work in during practice and come in hot this weekend.”
Florida is 32-2 this season.
The Gators head to Fayetteville to hopefully earn their first series win at Arkansas for the first time since 2017.
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