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No. 8 Florida powers past No. 1 Oklahoma, evens series

by:Tara Henry•05/02/25
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Photo courtesy of Florida Athletics

Florida erupted for four home runs—including Taylor Shumaker’s first career grand slam—in a statement 9-4 win over top-ranked Oklahoma to even the series in Gainesville.

The Gators’ long ball barrage backed a solid Senior Day start from Kara Hammock, who kept the Sooners in check for three innings before handing it off to a successful pitch-by-committee effort. After surrendering 15 hits in game one, Florida’s staff held Oklahoma to just five, flipping the script and setting the stage for a high-stakes series finale.

How it happened:

The Sooners got things going early, jumping out to a 1-0 lead. Kasidi Pickering drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third on an Ella Parker double. Pickering scored on a fielder’s choice to second. Hammock worked out of the jam, inducing a fly ball to center.

Florida responded in the bottom half. The Gators drew back-to-back one-out walks from Jocelyn Erickson and Shumaker, benefited from a pitch clock violation. Reagan Walsh smashed an off-speed pitch up the middle to score Erickson from second, tying it 1-1.

Hammock held the Sooners scoreless in the second after issuing back-to-back two-out walks to Corri Hicks and Hannah Coor, escaping the jam with a fly out to right.

In the bottom of the second, Ava Brown drew a one-out walk and Kenleigh Cahalan dropped a bloop single to left. Erickson drew her second walk of the game to load the bases for Shumaker delivered a grand slam to deep center, putting the Gators up 5-1 and prompting a pitching change to Isabella Smith.

Hammock continued to shut down the Sooners for three consecutive innings, working her offspeed effectively—a pitch she normally throws just 9% of the time, according to our friends at Synergy Softball.

In the top of the fifth, Coor led off with a line-drive double to left field and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Pickering drew a walk to put runners on the corners. Parker then smacked a 0-1 pitch to deep center, bringing the Sooners within one, 5-4.

Katelynn Oxley entered with no outs to face Nelly McEnroe-Marinas. Golden Glover Kendra Falby made a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch to rob a hit for the first out of the inning. Oxley then shut the door to preserve the one-run lead.

The Gators answered again. Walsh launched a solo shot to left field—on a pitch way up in the zone—surpassing Francesca Enea’s career RBI record and extending the lead to 6-4.

Mia Williams and Ava Brown followed with back-to-back solo home runs to left, stretching Florida’s lead to 9-4. Williams’ home run may still be I’m the air…

Audrey Lowry entered the circle for Smith and tossed 1.2 scoreless innings, a nice showing in relief for the left-hander.

In the sixth, Sanders drew a leadoff walk. Chaney Helton entered as a pinch hitter, and Tia Milloy, pinch hitting for Hicks, muscled a single deep in the hole at short. Katelynn Oxley entered for Brown and got Coor to ground out, struck out Pickering, and induced a fly out to end the threat.

The Sooners applied pressure again in the seventh as McEnroe-Marinas drew a leadoff walk. But Oxley took care of business, closing it out to even the series.

The rubber match will be at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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