GAINESVILLE, Fla. \u2013 The No. 4\/5 Florida softball team (7-0) opened its home schedule with a dominant win over Jacksonville, downing the Dolphins, 11-1, at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium on Wednesday evening.<\/p>\n
The Gators finished its two-game series with Jacksonville 2-0, outscoring the Dolphins 31-1, combining for four home runs, four doubles and 16 walks with just two strikeouts.<\/p>\n
Florida’s hot offense was led by Kenleigh Cahalan<\/a>, who hit her first grand slam of the season and third of her career in the third inning, driving in a team-high five runs in the game. She’s the first Gator to hit a grand slam in a home opener in program history.<\/p>\n In the circle, Keagan Rothrock<\/a> (4-0) allowed just one hit with 10 strikeouts, the most strikeouts she’s recorded in a game since 2024.<\/p>\n NOTABLES:
HEAR FROM THE GATORS: On the decision\u00a0to move Townsen Thomas<\/a> to the nine-hole \u2026 What has it felt like to start of the season so strong? “To add to that, having energy has been one of our main goals throughout the whole game, no matter what the score is, if we’re down or up, it doesn’t really matter. It just makes more light in the game. It just keeps you going, keeps you more motivated. So, that’s been one of our goals for sure this season.” \u2013 senior Kenleigh Cahalan<\/a><\/p>\n How good does it feel to be back and already have multiple strikeout\u00a0games since your injury last season? What is it like to be back at shortstop this season? UP NEXT:
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\n\tKeagan Rothrock<\/a>\u00a0has recorded at least one strikeout in 18 of the 21 innings she’s pitched in over her first three starts
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\n\t\tIn the top of the fourth, she recorded three strikeouts in the same inning for the first time this season
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\n\tKenleigh Cahalan<\/a> has now hit three grand slams in career
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\n\t\tThe other two came in 2025 \u2013 vs. Troy (Feb. 22) and vs. Grand Canyon (March 1)
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\n\tTaylor Shumaker<\/a> and Ava Brown<\/a> each hit home runs in the victory
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\n\t\tShumaker now has three on the season and Brown has two
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\n\tThe Gators scored 19 runs, hit two home runs and recorded 13 hits and 7 walks against the Dolphins in just the third inning alone between the two games
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\nOpening statement \u2026
\n“I thought Keagan came out and her stuff was really good. She’s already started the season off with more swinging misses than she had maybe since a stretch in her freshman year, but her stuff is really good. Really spinning the ball a lot better to start the season. The lineup is good; I’m really happy with where we’re at. We’ve got a long way to go to get better and compete down the stretch, but I think everything in front of us right now I think our team’s doing a really good job handling the challenges of each pitching staff we face. And then we’ve done a really good job with the two strikes and two outs and turning the lineups over. I’ve been really happy with the way Gabi Comia’s<\/a> has played; I just call her a spark in the bottom of the lineup. She’s just really done a good\u00a0job of turning things over and getting it back to the top.” – head coach Tim Walton<\/a>
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\nOn Keagan Rothrock’s great start to the season \u2026
\n“Yeah, it’s good, obviously she gave up a homer against Michigan to lead the game off and really that’s the only mistake she’s really made the rest of the game, so she’s done a really good job. She doesn’t make a ton of mistakes, you know, that’s been kind of her Achilles heel. She looks really really good and all of a sudden, she starts giving up pitches, giving up hits, because pitches are breaking the same. But she’s done a good job and she’s working really hard. She’s always been a hard worker and I think that her and the staff have done a good job being a little bit more intentional about her work. We’re pitching a lot more to Keagan’s strengths and now her strengths are getting better. We haven’t had a good set of data points for her consistently for a while. Now we’ve had our technology in the stadium for, since the Alabama series last year, and we’re able to really use that to our advantage – to learn a lot more about our pitchers and ourselves. I think we’ve done a good job at being able to take the data and translate that into what out pitchers’ styles are like.”\u00a0\u2013 head coach Tim Walton<\/a><\/p>\n
\n“I wanted to move her in the South Florida game but I just didn’t have us prepared for that move. So, moving her to nine in the lineup keeps everybody in sequence. Everybody’s batting in front of and behind everyone the same as we’ve really been batting before October. She’s getting back to being a little bit better, she’s just swinging at bad pitches. But I don’t not expect that from a freshman so just want to take the pressure off her a little bit.” \u2013 head coach Tim Walton<\/a><\/p>\n
\n“I think it’s a super special thing. I think with having such a small team, that has really put into our ability to create such a close team chemistry, and I really think it’s allowed us to play the way that we are. It didn’t really take us long to get to know each other and it happened very quickly. So, I think that’s been able to shine on the field and I think that’s really been something that can make us unstoppable.” \u2013 junior Keagan Rothrock<\/a><\/p>\n
\n“It feels good. This offseason has been huge for me in terms of working on my mental game, especially after being out for the amount of time I was last year. It did take a toll on my mental game but I learned a lot. I learned a lot about the other side of the game, including learning how to be a better teammate. On the flip side, it did take away from my mental side of my game, which is something that I always prided myself on. So, having this offseason to really hone in and focus on my mental game and find a routine and a reset that works and being able to lean into my fielders has been really huge, and honestly I think with all those things combined it’s help me to throw the game I did today.” \u2013 junior Keagan Rothrock<\/a>
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\nHow did it feel to be back at home?
\n“It was so good. I think we\u00a0have a really special\u00a0place here and I think we have a really special\u00a0set up\u00a0of fans and a really special environment. As packed as it was today, I loved it. It was so much fun. It was fun to be in front of our people again and to get to play for our community and for our school, and for each other. So amazing.” – junior Keagan Rothrock<\/a><\/p>\n
\nKenleigh: “It feels great. Coach Walton has been working with me, helping me to get better each day, and I just do everything for the team, so wherever he needs me at, I’m good with.” \u2013 senior Kenleigh Cahalan<\/a>
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\nThe Gators host the Florida Classic on Feb. 13-15, welcoming Marshall, FIU and Georgia Tech to Gainesville. For the full tournament schedule, click\u00a0here.<\/a>
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