Gators overwhelmed by Texas Tech power surge in emotional Super Regional loss
GAINESVILLE - Florida’s bid for another trip to the Women’s College World Series ended with a first for coach Tim Walton and his Gators - along with some NCAA softball tournament history.
Texas Tech’s 16-7 win Sunday marked the first time Florida (52-12) has been run-ruled during NCAA postseason play, ending the Gators’ pursuit of a 13th WCWS appearance under Walton.
“We lost, shoot. I hate it more than anything,” he said. “We played our butts off. I've seen a lot of teams fold early. We just didn’t have enough left.”
A series that shaped up to be a pitchers’ due - featuring Florida’s Keegan Rothrock and Texas Tech All-American NiJaree Canady - instead featured a winner-take-all slugfest of a game with seven combined home runs, including five by the Red Raiders (57-6).
Both teams came out swinging. Each team scored seven runs through two innings - the first time that has happened in NCAA Tournament history.
“That’s what you get when it’s postseason, and when one team’s gonna go home,” Florida senior Jocelyn Erickson said. “Everyone’s gonna give what they got.”
The loss also marked another first for Walton, who entered Sunday with a perfect 6-0 record in Super Regional Game 3s in Gainesville.
The 53-year-old coach didn’t get a chance to see that streak end.
Walton was ejected by the home plate umpire Paul Edds in the bottom of a fifth inning featuring five Texas Tech walks, two leading to runs off reliever Allison Sparkman - one of four Florida pitchers Sunday.
“I didn’t really say anything. He just chucked me,” Walton said. “I said something afterwards. ‘Come on, you better be better than that. Go back to your dugout. You go back there.’ And he threw me out - no warning, no nothing.
“I’ve never been thrown out like that before without a warning, so that was a little surprising to me.”
By then, the outcome appeared decided.
With the score tied 7-7, the Red Raiders opened the third inning with a solo home run by Taylor Pannell, ending the day for Rothrock (30-7), one day after she threw a complete game in the Gators’ 10-2 win.
Freshman reliever Leah Stevens struck out Canady before allowing a single, and then struck out former Gator Mia Williams. But after an error by shortstop Kenleigh Cahalan put two runners on base, Jackie Lis launched a three-run homer - her second of the game - to center field for an 11-7 lead.
Stevens exited an inning later after Pannell's second homer pushed Texas Tech's advantage to 13-7.
Sparkman retired her first four batters before issuing three consecutive walks in the fifth inning. Lauren Allred later reached on an error to load the bases.
Pannell drew a bases-loaded walk to extend the lead to 15-7, and another walk to Canady produced the game's final run. This led Walton to send out Florida’s fourth pitcher, sophomore Katelynn Oxley - who yielded the game-winning home run to Williams on Friday during Texas Tech’s 10-8 win.
Williams homered earlier Sunday, following a two-hour, 21-minute delay.
Before the delay, Florida answered Texas Tech’s three-run first inning with four runs of its own, capped by Cahalan’s two-run shot to left-center field.
Williams' two-run homer - her 24th of the season after transferring to Texas Tech - and another blast from Lis gave the Red Raiders a 5-4 lead. During the inning, Williams' father, former Florida basketball star Jason Williams, taunted the Florida dugout and performed the Gator chomp.
Walton said he was puzzled by the exchange, which may have stemmed from Mia Williams being hit by a pitch five times across three days.
“I have no idea where that came from,” Walton said. “There’s no place for that. I don’t think that that’s fair to the kids in both dugouts. There’s never been a problem ever. Kids transfer all the time. She had a great weekend.
“Nobody was trying to hit her on purpose. I don’t understand the drama. I’m very disappointed in that, but that had nothing to do with the softball game.”
Texas Tech's bats stayed hot while Florida failed to capitalize on opportunities.
Trailing 13-7 in the fourth inning, the Gators loaded the bases as Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco alternated between star pitchers Teagan Kavan and Canady. When Canady struck out Kendall Grover to end the inning, she slammed her protective mask to the ground and yelled in celebration during the emotionally charged matchup.
After the game, Florida players headed directly to the locker room without participating in the traditional postgame handshake line.
“I don’t know what happened. Obviously I was gone,” Walton said. “Maybe that was for the better, with just the anxiety. On TV, they’re saying this might be a bench-clearing brawl. Never seen a bench-clearing brawl in softball in my life, it would have been the first.
“So, there you go, just stirring it up again.”
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
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