![[Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_222,w_2788,h_1568/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/213/01ksb799sc1w6rwz3z1m.jpg "[Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]")
Coming into Saturday’s contest with its season on the line, there were plenty of reasons to wonder out loud whether or not Florida was simply marching into its own demise. After scoring eight runs on Friday and still not winning, the Gators were faced with the prospect of having to get by Texas Tech ace NiJaree Canady just to extend the season into Sunday.
Florida took that challenge head-on and made Canady look like a Big South pitcher as the Gators ultimately cruised past the Red Raiders to set up a winner-take-all contest on Sunday.
Florida beats Texas Tech in game two in Super Regionals
With the way game one ended and the hour-long weather delay for game two, there were seeds planted for why Florida could have bowed out. But embodying the spirit of not backing down, Florida looked like the team we had witnessed all season that could outslug anyone when everything is going correctly.
Florida’s first batter, Taylor Shumaker, drew a walk.
Florida's second batter, Jocelyn Erickson, hit a two-run home run.
From there, things were never truly in doubt, and despite some poor defensive play from Florida that could have been prevented by wearing sunglasses, Keagan Rothrock never got rattled and limited any real momentum from Texas Tech.
Kenleigh Cahalan wound up 3-4 with three runs scored, and Gabi Comia, who was the culprit of one of the dropped pop flies, went 2-3 with a walk at the plate.
Winner takes all
The only downside from Saturday is that Florida had a shot to end things in five innings but couldn’t quite trigger a run-rule victory. The result was Keagan Rothrock going north of 100 pitches when she potentially could have stayed around 70 pitches.
The question mark heading into game three is how much gas Rothrock still has in the tank for a winner-takes-all game three with a ticket to the WCWS on the line?
As we saw in game one, the arms behind Rothrock have some serious question marks lingering, and Florida almost has no choice but to ride Rothrock until she breaks.
On the flip side, Florida has shown through two games that it can mash against both Canady and Kaitlyn Terry. Depending on how Rothrock recovers in the next 24 hours, the Gators might need those bats to mash once again.
One way or another, seven innings stand between Florida and Oklahoma City on Sunday.
To the victor go the spoils.
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