New stars shine as unified Gators softball team rallies past FSU in thriller
GAINESVILLE - Florida's comeback against Florida State showcased the winning formula behind coach Tim Walton's latest title contender.
New stars continue to rise for a softball team that wins as one.
Walton's best teams have always had their own identity. With the No. 6 Gators, it is still taking shape.
But one thing remains constant: Someone always emerges when needed.
“We got a new player of the game almost every other game, somebody steps up,” he said after Florida's 4-3 win Tuesday night. “They've just really done a good job of not getting too consumed and just playing ball and finding a way to do their jobs and keep getting better at it.”
Against the No. 10 Seminoles (43-8), Florida (46-7) leaned on unlikely heroes to secure its first home win in the rivalry since 2022.
Graduate transfer Giulia Desiderio delivered the decisive moment. Entering as a pinch hitter, she broke a 3-3 tie in the fifth inning with a two-out, first-pitch single - her first RBI of the season.
“I was just trying to stay as calm as I could in that situation,” said Desiderio, a South Carolina transfer from Hudson. “It means a lot, especially against our rival. Being there for my team was really cool.”
The defense sealed the Gators’ win, just the second in 10 tries during a series tilted lately in the Seminoles’ favor.
In the seventh, freshman left fielder Townsen Thomas robbed cleanup hitter Anna Hinde with a full-extension, diving catch that survived replay review.
“We train and work hard for those moments - and I capitalized,” Thomas said.
The rally began earlier. Trailing 2-0 in the third, UF sophomore standout Taylor Shumaker sparked the offense with an RBI double - her team-leading 81st hit - to score Gabi Comia. A two-out single from Taylor Townsend tied the game moments later.
Walton then turned to ace Keagan Rothrock to replace pitcher Olivia Miller after the junior from Orlando struck out a Seminole with two runners on base. Rothrock escaped the inning and allowed just two hits in the final 3 ⅔ innings to earn her 25th win.
The outing provided redemption after Rothrock was tagged for two home runs by FSU star Isa Torres in last week's 3-1 loss in Tallahassee. Rothrock won the matchup, retiring the nation's leading hitter on a full count to start the final inning.
“As a pitcher, you can’t be scared to throw to that kind of batter,” Rothrock said. “But also tip my cap to her last week, like, ‘Hey, you’re probably the best hitter in the country and hit two home runs. But I’m gonna get you out this week.’ “
With just 17 players - the smallest roster among power conference teams - Florida has leaned on its depth every week, every game, every inning. Nearly everyone on Walton's close-knit squad has contributed in the clutch.
“Throughout this season, you’ve seen almost everybody have their moment,” Townsend said. “We’re just excited to just keep trusting each other and keep going.”
Now, as the Gators head to Georgia to close the regular season, they sit second in the SEC, two games behind powerhouse Oklahoma.
Walton's resumé includes two national titles, eight SEC titles and 13 Women's College World Series appearances. What this team becomes will be decided in the coming weeks.
What is already clear is how they'll get there.
“For us, because we are such a small team, it is kind of like, ‘Hey, we can go do big things,’ ” Rothrock said. “The size of our team really does not matter as long as we’re working as one.”
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
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This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 1:07 PM.