SUPER REGIONAL GAME 2: Georgia Takes Down Florida 2-1

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Georgia hit home runs in the first two innings, while third-seeded Florida struggled offensively, leaving 13 runners stranded. The unseeded Bulldogs triumphed over the Gators 2-1 on Saturday in the second game of the NCAA Gainesville Super Regional, setting up a decisive Game 3 on Sunday that will determine which team advances to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City next week.

UGA’s starter Lilli Backes navigated through frequent traffic before exiting in the UF seventh inning with one out and runners on first and second. Relief pitcher Randi Roelling, who was on record for a 6-1 loss in Friday’s Game 1, stepped in and got Korbe Otis to fly out and Kenleigh Cahalan to pop out to second, sealing the game. Backes (16-10), entering with a 3.54 ERA, pitched 6.1 innings while conceding just one run and seven hits, with five walks and eight strikeouts against one of the top offenses nationwide.

Lyndi Ray Davis’s home run in the first inning and Emily Digby’s shot in the second gave the Bulldogs an early 2-0 lead, leaving the Gators trying to catch up. Digby’s homer also prompted the exit of UF starter Keagan Rothrock (15-6), who had allowed only one run over 6.1 innings on Friday. She was replaced by sophomore Olivia Miller, who, alongside Kara Hammock, pitched five scoreless innings and allowed just two hits. Unfortunately for the Gators, they couldn’t take advantage.

Florida had several opportunities, placing runners on base in all seven innings. They left the bases loaded in the first and had runners on first and second with no outs in the fourth, but could not convert, as freshman slugger Taylor Shumaker grounded out to second with two runners in scoring position, ending the inning.

The Gators narrowed the lead in the fifth when Reagan Walsh reached via an error and Mia Williams executed a left-field single, again placing runners in scoring position with one out. Ava Brown walked to load the bases, and Korbe Otis drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to deep center. Backes managed to escape the jam by getting Cahalan to ground out to first.

Another opportunity for the Gators arrived in the sixth when Kendra Falby reached on a one-out infield single and advanced to second on a throwing error. However, she remained there as Shumaker, who went an unusually 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, flew to left and Jocelyn Erickson flew to right.

In the seventh, Florida faced further frustration in front of their spirited home crowd. The Gators had runners on first and second with nobody out when Brown struck out for the third time. That’s when Roelling entered and got Otis on a sacrifice fly, moving both runners up, putting the tying run at third and go-ahead at second. Cahalan popped out on the first pitch, ending the game.

PLAY OF THE GAME: UGA was leading 2-0 in the third, with Davis on second after a lead-off walk. Jayden Goodwin hit a liner into the right-field gap, where Shumaker made a great play, firing a strike to Williams, whose relay was perfectly placed to get Davis as she slid head-first, thanks to an excellent tag by catcher Jocelyn Erickson. This was Shumaker’s second remarkable defensive play in two days and prevented the Bulldogs from increasing their lead.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Backes didn’t completely dominate the Gators, but demonstrated resilience by navigating various challenges, much of which was her doing, aided by three errors from Georgia.

STAGGERING STATISTIC: The Gators struggled hitting .066 with runners in scoring position on Saturday, going 1-for-15. Brown stranded six runners, while Shumaker and Cahalan left four each. UF had entered the game ranked third nationally in RBIs with 436.

UP NEXT: Florida (47-15) and Georgia (35-22) will face off in Game 3 on Sunday, with start time to be announced later Saturday. The Gators hold a 6-0 all-time record in Super Regional Game 3s.

QUOTES

Coach Tim Walton

* (Opening statement): “It was a well-played softball game. I told my team the same thing. A solid game with good defensive plays and pitching. Unfortunately, we lacked timely hitting today, which was key. Our pitching staff performed admirably, with Olivia and Kara giving us a chance to win. From the third inning on, we had much better at-bats, but overall it was a good softball game. It’s ultimately a test of toughness now, which I mentioned to our team last night. They need to beat us twice, and they played excellently today.”

* (Regarding the offensive production this season, was this an anomaly?): “We always tell our pitchers to keep it under four runs for a chance to win. Frankly, we just didn’t execute an effective swing plan when it counted. We were chasing balls out of the zone, which is not our style. I doubt we’ve had as many swings and misses all year. This shows the game’s importance. Some elements are entirely out of my control, and theirs as well. It’s a different scenario during the College World Series and the stakes are high; we need to simplify it and focus on swinging at better pitches.”

Korbe Otis

* (On the challenges faced with runners in scoring position): “This game is about dealing with failure. It’s expected. There’s no other game where you can fail six or seven times out of ten and still be a Hall-of-Famer. We just need one better swing, one percent improvement.”

* (On looking ahead to Game 3): “Tomorrow is a fresh start. We were just one swing away from winning today, so I think we’re prepared and confident going in.”

Email senior writer Chris Harry at [email protected]