Florida Gators advance to WCWS Semifinals for first time since 2017
The Florida Gators softball team rebounded from Saturday’s loss with a 6-4 win over Alabama on Sunday, advancing to the Women’s College World Series semifinals. It marks the program’s first trip to the semifinals since 2017.
That season, UF finished as the WCWS runner-up for the third in school history. Now the Gators have a chance to keep competing for a national title after an impressive performance by sophomore catcher Jocelyn Erickson.
Erickson’s three-run homer proved to be the difference against the Crimson Tide. With Florida up 3-2 in the top of the sixth inning with two outs, Erickson launched a 260-foot home run to give the Gators a four-run lead.
Speaking with ESPN’s Holly Rowe postgame, Erickson discussed her mindset as she approached the plate to face Crimson Tide pitcher Jocelyn Briski.
“We had played them earlier in the season,” she said. “She didn’t pitch against us, but we scouted them. I knew I needed to come up big for my team and I love them with my whole heart.”
Erickson, the SEC Player of the Year, Gold Glove Recipient, Diamond Sports/NFCA Catcher of the Year and Softball America Defender of the Year, finished 2-for-3 at the plate with four RBI and her team-high 15th homer of the season.
Erickson tied the game at 1 with an RBI single in the third inning. UF junior infielder Reagan Walsh also had two RBI, including a single up the middle in the fifth to put Florida in front 3-2 before Erickson’s home run.
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Erickson was one of three Gators to record double digit hits and seven of the nine players in the lineup connected at least once, as the team totaled 10 hits.
“I think it was just our motto all season was ‘trust in one another,’” she said. “We were passing the bat today and I think that’s what mattered.”
The Florida Gators got another strong outing in the circle from freshman Keagan Rothrock. She pitched a complete game and struck out five batters and allowed seven hits, tossing 95 total pitches with 66 strikeouts.
No. 4 seed Florida faces 2-seeded Oklahoma on Monday at noon ET on ESPN. UF opened the WCWS with a 1-0 win over Oklahoma State on Friday before suffering a 10-0 loss in five innings to top-seeded Texas on Saturday.
Sunday was a rematch between SEC foes Florida and Alabama. The Gators won their regular season conference series against the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, taking the first two before dropping the Sunday game.
