Florida softball edges Baylor in Game 1 of NCAA Gainesville Super Regionals

Florida softball remained on its postseason roll with a quick, efficient 4-2 win over Baylor in Game 1 of the NCAA Gainesville Super Reginal at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

The Florida Gators (50-12) won their 12th straight and moved within a win of their 12th Women's College World Series appearance in school history and 12th under head coach Tim Walton.

"Our crowd was great as they always are in postseason," Walton said. "That's the one thing I can go home and not feel nervous about is that they will do everything they can to will us though a Regional, through a Super Regional and making an impact on the game in a good way."

Game 2 of the Super Regional between Florida and Baylor will take place on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. TV is to be determined.

Here are three takeaways from the Florida win:

Florida softball answers with three runs in the bottom of the first

Down 1-0, Florida answered with three runs in the bottom of the first inning to take command of the game. Korbe Otis started the rally when she was hit by a pitch, then moved to second when Sklyar Wallace walked.

Florida catcher Jocelyn Erickson then laced an RBI single to left field, tying the score at 1.

With two outs and runners on first and third, right fielder Katie Kistler then delivered a big blow, a two-RBI double to the gap in left center fielder to give the Gators a 3-1 lead.

"Our offense responded to what I would probably chalk up to just a little bit of nerves," Walton said. "Haven't done some of that stuff in a while but I thought our response was really, really good."

Kistler is 2 for 6 with two doubles and 5 RBIs over her last three games.

"Katie's always rolling for us, I think," Otis said. "I think one through nine, our lineup can be pretty productive, anytime and when we get rolling, we can be really dangerous."

Florida softball p Keagan Rothrock settles down after shaky first inning

Rothrock allowed a run on three hits in the first inning. But she workout of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the first settled down the rest the game, allowing just two runs on six hits over seven innings to pick up her 29th win of the season.

"I just located my pitches a little better and just kind of figured out the home (plate) ump too, different umpires for different games," Rothrock said. "So I think the location, figuring out the umpire's zone helped a lot."

Of Rotchrock's 104 pitches, 64 were for strikes. Rothrock (29-6) walked just one batter and struck out five, which included striking out Baylor designated player Ashlyn Wachtendorf to end the game.

"She didn't like giving that run," Walton said. "But I told her before, one was one, one wasn't two three for five, one was one. You don't have to be perfect. Just make the pitches, give us your best effort."

Florida softball LF Korbe Ortis delivers big insurance run in fifth inning

Otis led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a solo home run, her ninth of the season, putting Florida up 4-2. She golfed a down and in pitch from Baylor pitcher Aliyah Binford into flowers in the bullpen in left field.

"Her changeup was obviously working really well today," Otis said. "And I think we just made an adjustment to see it a little bit better and that definitely helped in that last hit out there for sure."

Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun Florida beat writer. Contact him at KBrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @KevinBrockwayG1

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida softball beats Baylor Bears in NCAA Gainesville Super Regional