After managing just three hits in 25 at-bats on Friday, Florida’s offense needed a spark and it found one early. The Gators turned to the long ball, jumpstarting their bats in a big way.
UF doubled its hit total on Friday throughout the first three frames and never looked back from there. Overall, the offense marked its highest hit total in SEC play with 16 on the evening.
Leading the way at the plate was junior Kendall Grover. Entering Saturday, she had been hitless over her last six games and was moved from the cleanup spot to sixth in the order, but she found her rhythm. Grover finished with two hits and scored two runs.
Another Gator struggling was sophomore Gabi Comia, who was 0-17 in her last 17 at bats , but she also found her stride, recording three hits.
The offensive blunder propelled No. 3 Florida (33-3, 9-2 SEC) over No. 10 Arkansas (29-5, 4-4 SEC) 8-6. UF will look for its first series win in Fayetteville since 2017 in the rubber match on Sunday.
The Razorbacks wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, and it came from an unlikely homerun source in Brinili Bain. Entering the game with just two home runs on the season, Bain launched a moonshot over the head of right fielder Taylor Shumaker to give Arkansas a 1–0 lead.
In response, Grover led the charge with a double down the left field line, and junior Cassidy McLellan worked a full-count walk to bring junior catcher Ella Wesolowski to the plate. Wesolowski then launched her fifth home run of the season, catapulting Florida to a 3–1 lead. The catcher led UF with three RBIs in the victory.
The third baseman was not finished making her mark on the scoreboard. In the top of the third, Grover launched a no doubt bomb over the left field wall extending the lead 4-1.
One inning later, Comia led the frame off with an opposite field double, turning the order over to the leadoff redshirt freshman Townsen Thomas. The centerfielder lined a single up the middle scoring Comia from second.
Moreover, McLellan joined the home run barrage, launching a two-run shot to extend Florida’s lead to 7–1.
In the circle, Katelynn “Red” Oxley made the start and hurled 4.1 innings while surrendering three hits. She saw her day end when the Razorbacks loaded the bases with 1 out in the bottom of the fifth.
That prompted junior Olivia Miller to enter the circle, and it initially appeared she had induced an inning-ending double play. However, after review, the ground ball was ruled foul, giving Arkansas new life. And the Razorbacks took advantage.
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Brinili Bain followed with an RBI single to left, and a fielder’s choice off the bat of Ella McDowell trimmed Florida’s lead to four. Moments later, Dakota Kennedy lined a bases-clearing double down the left-field line, cutting the deficit to two.
Looking for two shutout innings, the Gators turned to junior Keagan Rothrock to shut things down, but Arkansas’s Atalyia Rijo had other plans. The shortstop lined a leadoff homer off Rothrock cutting the Florida lead to one.
Florida’s offense responded with five runs in the top of the seventh. Junior Kenleigh Cahalan set the tone, leading off the inning by launching her 13th home run of the season on the first pitch she saw, giving UF a crucial insurance run and an 8–6 lead. A pair of singles by Thomas and Shumaker pushed the advantage to 10-6.
Junior Madison Walker put the nail in the coffin for the Razorbacks when she lined her sixth double of the year, scoring Thomas and Shumaker putting Florida ahead 12-6.
The decisive rubber match is set for Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. at Bogle Park.
Contact Zach Moore at [email protected]. Follow him on X @zach_moore27.
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Zach Moore
Zach is a sophomore sports journalism student in his first semester at The Alligator, covering softball. He also has experience as an intern in the Florida Collegiate Summer League. Zach enjoys watching sports in his free time, primarily the Minnesota Vikings, Orlando Magic, and Arsenal FC.
