GAINESVILLE, Fla. \u2013 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.<\/p>\n
Kenleigh Cahalan<\/a> continued her hot streak at the plate, going a team-best 3-for-3 at the plate with four RBIs.<\/p>\n Ava Brown<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n In the circle, Keagan Rothrock<\/a> (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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Trailing 1-0, Florida took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the third.<\/p>\n The Gators scored two on a two-RBI single from Cahalan, followed by an RBI single from Townsen Thomas<\/a> and an RBI groundout from Brown to go ahead, 4-1.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n After Brown’s one-out home run and the Gators ahead 7-1, Gabi Comia<\/a> hit her 12th double of the season, driving in one run, before an Auburn fielding error ended the game early.<\/p>\n Florida is now 22-2 when playing at home.<\/p>\n Up next, the Gators will look to clinch the series on Saturday at 3 p.m. on SEC Network+.<\/p>\n Florida will hold their Senior Day recognition prior to the game, celebrating Jocelyn Erickson<\/a>, Giulia Desiderio<\/a>, Kendall Grover<\/a> and Kenleigh Cahalan<\/a>. The first 500 fans will receive\u00a0Alberta sunflower bobble heads.<\/p>\n FOLLOW THE GATORS<\/a>
\nFloridaGators.com<\/a>
\nFlorida Softball on Twitter<\/a>
\nHead Coach\u00a0<\/a>Tim Walton<\/a>\u00a0on Twitter
\nFlorida Softball on Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n