Bombs away: Big second inning blasts Florida softball past Texas A&M and into SEC Tournament Final
Stormy weather has characterized the last 48 hours at the SEC Tournament in Auburn.
A more accurate weather metaphor for the Florida softball team on the plains?
Clear blue skies.
The No. 2 seed Gators won their second game of the day and the tournament as it breezed into the final with a 7-3 win over Texas A&M Friday night at Jane B. Moore Field.
UF will face fifth-seeded Missouri in the final Saturday at 4 p.m.
First pitch for Florida was about six hours after its 9-4 quarterfinal win over Georgia.
Coach Tim Walton elected to roll out ace Keegan Rothrock vs the Aggies. The freshman started Friday morning vs the 'Dawgs and fired 95 pitches over 5 2/3 innings.
If Rothrock held any fatigue, she didn't show it. TAMU didn't pick up its first hit until the fourth inning.
Outside of the five hits and three runs in the fourth and fifth innings, Rothrock contained the Aggies fully.
She struck out six, her second-highest of the season vs SEC play. Earlier in the day, Rothrock was named SEC Freshman of the Year.
UF's offense, which has scored over five runs in seven of its last eight games, showed up for dinner once again.
Freshman Mia Williams hit just her fourth home run of the season and first since March 23 — an absolute blast on to the left field scoreboard.
Later in the inning, All-SEC first teamer Skylar Wallace joined the bomber party with a two runner. Wallace has now homered in three games in a row, driven in a run in six games in a row and has a seven game hit streak.
Those five runs would have been more than enough for Rothrock, but the SEC Player of the Year thought she needed to join in.
Jocelyn Erickson cleared the bases with a two RBI double in the sixth. Friday night was the sophomore's third game in a row with two plus RBIs.
What's next?
Florida, winners of seven in a row, makes its 10th SEC Tournament Final appearance.
A win Saturday will give UF six titles in the tournament's history and move it into a tie with Alabama for No. 1.
The Gators lost a three game series at Mizzou April 12-14, their only SEC series loss of the season.
Noah Ram covers Gainesville-area high school sports and University of Florida athletics for The Gainesville Sun. Contact him at Nram@gannett.com and follow him @Noah_ram1 on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida softball back in SEC Tournament Final for first time since 2021
