The Florida Gators came into Monday’s game needing a win to force a deciding matchup with the four-time defending national champion Oklahoma Sooners on Tuesday. The rematch would have been played on Monday prior to the Texas Longhorns and Stanford Cardinal game but mother nature had other ideas.
Florida rose to the occasion with the 9-3 victory over Oklahoma, thanks to the bats coming alive for the Gators. The scoring occurred in each of the first five innings for a UF squad facing elimination.
Reagan Walsh started the scoring that brought Korbe Otis around to score on the RBI single off Oklahoma pitcher Nicole May. May would only pitched two innings on this day as she surrendered four runs on six hits. Florida went back-to-back in the second inning with home runs from Kendra Falby and Skylar Wallace. The former was of the inside the park variety.
INSIDE THE PARK HR!
Let's go, @kendrafalby 👏
📺 ESPN | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/CGyQzbJ6RT
— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) June 3, 2024
After scoring on an Ava Brown double that brought Walsh around to score, Walsh launched another home run over the fence to build the lead to 7-1. One wouldn’t have expected that the Oklahoma bats wouldn’t stay quiet for long, even with star freshman Keagan Rothrock in the circle for the Gators. Avery Hodge was able to get on base with a double and would come around to score on Tiare Jennings two-run homer. OU was able to narrow the deficit to four runs.
The Gators would build that lead back to six when Wallace mashed her second home run of the game. Brooke Barnard, who was pitch running for Ava Brown came around to score to make it 9-3.
Oklahoma would try to answer back to try and steal the game, after a double play the Florida pitcher would load the bases thanks to three walks. Right fielder Katie Kistler would secure the deep fly to end the game.
Florida and Oklahoma will face off again on Tuesday, winner moves on the WCWS championship series and the loser heads home.