![Florida head coach Tim Walton gets ready before a NCAA softball game at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_2623,h_1475/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/213/01kr1pzkkyrn5q88p4dw.jpg "Florida head coach Tim Walton gets ready before a NCAA softball game at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]")
We noted this week that coming into the NCAA Tournament, the Gators were probably going to need to avoid an upset in their first game to feel great about their chances of earning a top-eight seed in the NCAA Tournament, which would put them in line to host Super Regionals. After beating FSU last week, taking game one against Georgia, and taking a 7-2 lead in game two, the idea that Florida might not host seemed laughable.
Fast forward a week, and while Florida is probably safe as a top-eight seed, the Gators are suddenly carrying a question mark that seemed under control, even after a win.
Florida survives a slugfest against Auburn to advance to SEC Tournament Semifinals
If, prior to the quarterfinal matchup, one had said Florida was going to score 10 runs against Auburn, most would have said: “Alright, cool, a nice, easy run-rule win to lock up a top eight seed.”
But that is not what went down in Lexington, as Florida had to score four runs in the bottom of the 6th to stage a comeback and avoid the upset bid from Auburn.
The problem for Florida started with Keagan Rothrock going only 3.0 innings, giving up three hits and four walks, for four earned runs before getting pulled. Of the 68 pitches she threw, only 36 were strikes. Olivia Miller then came in and gave up four runs herself, three earned, off seven hits and a walk in just 2.0 innings of work. Katelynn Oxley gave up a hit and a walk with just one out recorded before Leah Stevens ultimately had to shut things down in the 6th before Rothrock came back in the 7th.
Rothrock closed things out, but not before giving up one final solo home run.
Florida came into the week with the 13th-best team ERA in the country. But after the back-to-back meltdowns against Georgia, followed today by an offensive explosion by an Auburn squad that is just 85th in the country in runs scored, it is clear that Florida is missing the services of Ava Brown in the circle.
Brown had started the season with just two earned runs against in 28.1 innings of work. But an injury in late February forced her to miss all of March. She returned in April and has been Florida’s DH, but the only attempt in the circle she has had since February came against Georgia, when she gave up four runs while recording just one out.
It may all seem petty to make these observations after a win, and Florida’s bats proved they can outslug anyone when it's in full gear. Taylor Shumaker was 3-4, and both Jocelyn Erickson and Kendall Grover had a home run.
But if the goal for Florida is to advance back to Oklahoma City AND make a bit of noise rather than go 0-2 at the WCWS, their suddenly unreliable pitching staff has to hope these past three games are no more than just a bump in the road.
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