Tag: Skylar Wallace

Florida softball’s Jocelyn Erickson is NFCA Division I Player of the Year

Despite losing to the eventual national champions, the Gators can still boast the best player in collegiate softball for the second-straight year.

The TUCCI/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division I Player of the Year award recipient was announced on Friday morning, and for the second straight season, a member of the Florida Gators softball program earned the prestigious honor.

Sophomore catcher [autotag]Jocelyn Erickson[/autotag] was tapped for the distinguished distinction after turning in one of the best individual performances at her position in program history. The southpaw set a new single-season record for RBI (86), surpassing previous record holder Megan Bush’s mark of 80 in 2011; the pair are the only two Gators to have recorded 80 or more RBI in a year.

Erickson finished the year with a .382 (73-for-191) average at the plate with 15 doubles, 15 home runs, 50 runs scored and 50 walks in addition to being 10-for-10 on stolen base attempts. She also finished third in program history with seven sacrifice flies, lagging behind Bush’s nine in 2011 and [autotag]Charla Echols[/autotag] 10 in 2022.

Her defensive prowess behind the plate also enabled her to record a new school single-season record for the lowest stolen base percentage against. Erickson’s sparkling mark of .316 resulted from throwing out 13 of the 19 runners attempting to steal on her this season.

[autotag]Skylar Wallace[/autotag] collected the award last season after finishing as the only player in the nation with 65 or more hits, 70 or more runs, 55 or more RBI, 50 or more walks and 30 or more stolen bases. She had one of the best individual seasons in Florida history as she set new single-season school records in batting average (.447), slugging percentage (.980) and on-base percentage (.595).

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Florida softball’s WCWS ends in extras against No. 2 Oklahoma

Florida softball’s magical 2024 season has ended in heartbreak as the Oklahoma Sooners completed a comeback bid in extra innings to advance to the Women’s College World Series Finals.

Florida was four outs away from its first Women’s College World Series Finals appearance since 2017, but the three-time national champion Oklahoma Sooners completed a 6-5 comeback in extra innings to end the Gators’ season in heartbreaking fashion.

Jayda Coleman delivered the knockout blowout, homering to left. Florida left fielder [autotag]Korbe Otis[/autotag] got to the wall in time and leaped, but the ball was just beyond her reach.

Coleman’s blast was one of six on the day, three of which came from the Orange and Blue. [autotag]Jocelyn Erickson[/autotag] opened up the scoring with a two-run home run in the first, followed by Ariel Kowalewski’s two-run shot in the second.

[autotag]Reagan Walsh[/autotag] drove in the final run of the season for Florida with a solo shot to left in the third. Spirits were high. The Gators had a solid lead with their ace on the mound, but the Sooners kept chipping away at the three-run deficit.

Cydney Sanders homered in the fourth to cut the lead back down to one, and a two-out double in the sixth from Ella Parker ultimately forced extras.

It’s hard to fault Florida’s pitcher, Keagan Rothrock, even though she gave up a walk-off home run to end the season. Rothrock threw 154 pitches in her final outing as a freshman, striking out three and walking five.

The future is bright for Florida with most of the team set to return in 2025, but this is the end of the road for seniors Baylee Goddard, Avery Goelz, Katie Kistler, [autotag]Skylar Wallace[/autotag], Emily Wilkie and Mackenzie Wooten.

Wallace will go down as one of the best to ever wear the Orange and Blue after three straight All-American seasons. She holds several program records.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Best photos from Oklahoma’s 9-3 loss to the Florida Gators

Photo Gallery of the Oklahoma Sooners 9-3 loss to the Florida Gators in the Women’s College World Series.

It didn’t go according to plan today for the Oklahoma Sooners, who turned to [autotag]Nicole May[/autotag] in the circle. May had been lights out for the Sooners during the postseason but got hit by a good Florida Gators. The Gators knocked off the Sooners 9-3 to set up an elimination game between the two sides on Tuesday.

May allowed four runs on six hits and a walk in two innings pitched, giving way to Kierston Deal in the third who didn’t fair much better. Deal, who had also pitched well for the Sooners, allowed five runs on four hits and four walks in 3.2 innings pitched.

At the plate, the Sooners left 10 runners in scoring position, which isn’t a great recipe for success. [autotag]Jayda Coleman[/autotag] was 0-3 after opening the game with a lead off walk.

But it was just one game. The Sooners have an opportunity to right the ship in another matchup with the Florida Gators.

Oklahoma is still a win away from the championship series. Here’s a look at the best photos from the Sooners 9-3 loss to Florida.

Gators softball stays alive in WCWS with win over Oklahoma

Florida will play tomorrow against Oklahoma one more time after a big win on Monday.

Florida softball kept its national title hopes alive on Monday with a 9-3 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners in the Women’s College World Series held in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

The fourth-seeded Gators powered past the second-seeded Sooners thanks to the dynamic duo of [autotag]Reagan Walsh[/autotag] and [autotag]Skylar Wallace[/autotag]. The former went 3-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs to show for her efforts; the latter went 2-for-4 with a pair of dingers and three RBIs.

[autotag]Keagan Rothrock[/autotag] put up another solid performance from the pitcher’s circle, throwing yet another complete game allowing three runs on seven hits and seven walks while striking out four.

Oklahoma got a pair of hits from Ella Parker and Kinzie Hanson, while Tiare Jennings slugged a two-run shot for her only base hit. Three Sooners pitchers combined efforts in the loss.

Highlights from Florida softball’s win over Oklahoma in WCWS

The two teams will face each other one more time on Tuesday to decide who gets to move on to the WCWS finals. There, they will face the winner of the Texas Longhorns and Stanford Cardinals matchup played later on Monday (and possibly a second game as well if Stanford wins).

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Oklahoma Sooners lose 9-3 to the Florida Gators

The Oklahoma Sooners couldn’t keep the Florida Gators bats in check, losing 9-3, setting up an elimination game between the two future SEC foes on Tuesday.

The Oklahoma Sooners entered the day one win away from the [autotag]Women’s College World Series[/autotag] Championship. The Florida Gators made sure it stayed the way with a 9-3 win over the Sooners to set up an elimination game on Tuesday.

The Florida Gators opened the scoring on a bloop single from Reagan Walsh. Florida added to their lead in the bottom of the third with an inside the park home run from Kendra Falby after Rylie Boone’s diving attempt came up short. All-American Skylar Wallace then went back-to-back with a home run she crushed to right field to give the Gators a 3-0 lead.

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma Sooners struggled to take advantage when they got the leadoff hitter on base. Their best chance came in the top of the second when Kasidi Pickering earned a four-pitch walk and advanced to second on a passed ball. Kinzie Hansen grounded back to the pitcher, but Pickering was able to advance to third on the play. Then Rylie Boone hit a liner to deep center that looked like it might clear Falby, but she made a tremendous play on the ball. Pickering failed to tag up on the play, believing the ball to end up a base hit and was forced to stay at third. Oklahoma couldn’t cash in as Florida pitcher Keagan Rothrock struck out Cydney Sanders to end the threat.

Down 4-1, the Sooners finally got on the board with an RBI single from Kinzie Hansen. But the Gators responded with three more runs in the bottom of the fourth to keep the Sooners at a distance.

Tiare Jennings hit her 97th career home run and 10th in the Women’s College World Series. It was the lone highlight for a Sooners team that simply didn’t have it today.

Nicole May got the start after looking really sharp this postseason, but she and Kierston Deal were roughed up by a good Florida Gators offense.

The two combined to allow nine runs on 10 hits and they walked five batters. It’s the first time a former assistant of Patty Gasso has beaten the Sooners.

The loss ends the Sooners’ 11-game winning streak, and they will now need to beat Florida on Tuesday to advance to the Women’s College World Series Championship. Presumably Kelly Maxwell will get the start for the Sooners in the elimination game.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Florida drops Game 2 to Baylor, forces Super Regional rubber match

Florida softball’s 12-game winning streak — and seven-straight in postseason play — came to an abrupt end on Saturday.

Florida softball’s 12-game winning streak — and seven-straight in postseason play — came to an abrupt end on Saturday in the Gainesville Super Regionals inside Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium, where the Gators fell to the Baylor Bears, 5-2.

The two teams will meet one more time on Sunday for the rubber match that decides who plays for the national championship.

The Bears opened up with a three-run home run in the first to give them all they needed to prevail over the Orange and Blue. [autotag]Keagan Rothrock[/autotag], who had started the previous nine straight games and had not lost a decision in six weeks, was simply unable to solve Baylor’s bats early on.

At the plate, Florida was paced by [autotag]Skylar Wallace[/autotag], who went went 3-for-3 batting third in the order. On the other end of the spectrum, the Gators Nos. 1, 2 and 4 hitters combined to go 0-for-9 with three strikeouts.

Florida and Baylor will meet in their Game 3 matchup on Sunday beginning at 2 p.m. ET, with the winner advancing to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, next week. The Gators are 10-2 all-time in home Super Regionals, including 3-0 when the series has gone to a third game.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Gators softball beats Baylor Bears in NCAA Super Regionals opener

One more win and Florida will be in the College Softball World Series.

Florida softball took one step closer to a national championship on Friday with a win over the Baylor Bears in the Gainesville Super Regional held inside Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium, 4-2.

The win was UF’s 12th straight and seventh straight in postseason play, putting the Gators one away from reaching the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.

[autotag]Korbe Otis[/autotag] scored twice — once on a solo homer in the fifth — and [autotag]Katie Kistler[/autotag] had a two-run double in the first to stake host Florida to a lead it never relinquished in this one. [autotag]Keagan Rothrock[/autotag] made her Super Regional debut with a solid effort, giving up two earned runs on six hits and a walk while striking out five for the first complete game in her last five tries.

[autotag]Skylar Wallace[/autotag] went 1-for-2 with a walk, making her 13-for-18 in the postseason (.722) while also scoring her 86th run of the season. That run was also the 303rd of her career, making the fifth-year senior the all-time scoring leader in NCAA history.

Florida and Baylor face off for Game 2 on Saturday morning starting at 11 a.m. ET in a must-win game for the Bears. If the Gators prevail, they will punch the program’s WCWS ticket for the 12th time in history — all under Coach [autotag]Tim Walton[/autotag]. Should the Orange and Blue falter, the rubber match will be on Sunday, with the time still to be determined.

Highlights from Florida softball’s Super Regional Game 1 win over Baylor

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Highlights from Florida softball’s SEC Tournament Championship win

Here are the highlights from Florida’s record-setting SEC Tournament title win.

Florida softball prevailed over the Missouri Tigers, 6-1, on Saturday to earn its sixth Southeastern Conference Tournament title in program history, tying the program for the most in league history while giving head coach Tim Walton the most ever in the SEC.

The Gators’ bats were big in this one, with five of their six runs coming on home runs by [autotag]Mia Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Skylar Wallace[/autotag]. Keagan Rothrock tossed her second consecutive complete-game performance to give her team the edge from the pitcher’s circle.

The program improved its SEC Tournament record to 40-29 after a 3-0 sweep this year. This was also Florida’s 10th SEC Tournament Championship game appearance, which ranks second most in league history behind the LSU Tigers‘ 11 appearances.

Florida softball earns SEC Tournament title over Missouri Tigers

The Gators proved to be the best team in the SEC this weekend at the tournament.

Florida softball earned its sixth Southeastern Conference Tournament title on Sunday with a 6-1 win over the Missouri Tigers at Jane B. Moore Field in Auburn, Alabama. The tournament victory ties the Gators for the best in the league and gives head coach [autotag]Tim Walton[/autotag] the most of any skipper in SEC history.

The Orange and Blue entered the tournament as a No. 2 seed while Mizzou was a No. 5 seed coming in. The seedings played out as expected in the finals as Florida simply had too much for Missouri.

Walton’s team scored five of their six runs via the long ball, with [autotag]Skylar Wallace[/autotag] and [autotag]Mia Williams[/autotag] both going deep in this one. Right-handed pitcher Keagan Rothrock tossed her second consecutive complete-game performance to steady the Gators in the circle.

The program improved its SEC Tournament record to 40-29 after a 3-0 sweep this year. This was also Florida’s 10th SEC Tournament Championship game appearance, which ranks second most in league history behind the LSU Tigers‘ 11 appearances.

Highlights from Florida softball’s SEC Tournament Championship win

The Gators now await their placement in the NCAA Division I Softball Championship bracket during the Selection Show that will air live Sunday on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. ET.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Florida softball advances to SEC Tournament Championship

The Gators will battle for the SEC title against Mizzou on Saturday afternoon.

Florida softball punched its ticket to the Southeastern Conference Tournament Championships on Friday with a 7-3 victory over the Texas A&M Aggies at Jane B. Moore Field in Auburn, Alabama in the semifinal round. The Orange and Blue now moves on to its 10th SEC Tournament Championship game.

The win capped a 2-0 day for the Gators as they defeated the seventh-seeded Georgia Bulldogs in the quarterfinals earlier in the day. It took nine hits, five walks and a pair of home runs to get the job done; Keagan Rothrock’s 20th complete-game performance of the season included six strikeouts and zero walks en route to the victory.

[autotag]Skylar Wallace[/autotag] extended her hit streak to seven straight games after a single to center field in the first inning and she also reached base safely for the 10th consecutive game. The redshirt senior also tallied her 22nd multi-hit game of the year when she belted her 12th home run of the season in the bottom of the second.

The Gators will take on fifth-seeded Missouri Tigers in the SEC Tournament Championship on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.