GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 4/7 Florida softball team (42-5, 15-4 SEC) opened the weekend with a 9-1 five-inning victory over Auburn (23-20, 2-14 SEC) on Friday night at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
Kenleigh Cahalan continued her hot streak at the plate, going a team-best 3-for-3 at the plate with four RBIs.
Ava Brown slugged her first home run since injury, a solo shot to left field in the bottom of the fifth. It was her sixth of the season and first since Feb. 21 vs. Lindenwood.
In the circle, Keagan Rothrock (22-4) improved to 11-3 in Southeastern Conference play, tossing all five innings, allowing just one run on four hits and a pair of walks with four strikeouts. She has now thrown 15 complete games this season.
After the Tigers opened the game with a RBI triple in the top of the first, Rothrock and the Florida defense shut them out over the next four innings.
Trailing 1-0, Florida took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the third.
The Gators scored two on a two-RBI single from Cahalan, followed by an RBI single from Townsen Thomas and an RBI groundout from Brown to go ahead, 4-1.
Cahalan added to the Gators’ lead in the bottom of the fourth with her second two-RBI single of the game, making it 6-1.
After Brown’s one-out home run and the Gators ahead 7-1, Gabi Comia hit her 12th double of the season, driving in one run, before an Auburn fielding error ended the game early.
Florida is now 22-2 when playing at home.
Up next, the Gators will look to clinch the series on Saturday at 3 p.m. on SEC Network+.
Florida will hold their Senior Day recognition prior to the game, celebrating Jocelyn Erickson, Giulia Desiderio, Kendall Grover and Kenleigh Cahalan. The first 500 fans will receive Alberta sunflower bobble heads.
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