Florida softball coach Tim Walton didn’t mince words when describing the Gators 10-8 loss to Texas Tech.
“We played terrible,” the 20-year veteran coach said.
He followed that up with a crucial line, though.
“And we still had three chances to tie it up in the seventh inning,” Walton continued.
The fourth and fifth inning of Friday’s NCAA Gainesville Super Regional Game 1 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium felt like the Gators version of the ‘Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.’
UF committed two errors and saw numerous balls just barely get past the infield. Keagan Rothrock was pulled after the fourth inning, and the squad’s pitching woes reared its ugly head in the worst way possible.
All in all, the Red Raiders tallied a 7-1 lead, and Florida seemed on its way to its third consecutive loss in run-rule fashion.
That didn’t happen.
UF put together a thrilling comeback that saw four home runs and the game tied at eight heading into the seventh inning.
On the scoreboard, the result didn’t change as Mia Williams played hero with a two-run home run in the seventh inning, but the flurry of runs gives Walton and the Gators the confidence they need with the season on the line Saturday.
“We’ve had games like that on Friday night, and the message is the same. It’s a series, not a game,” Walton said.
The coach harbored all blame on himself postgame.
“As a young person, if they don’t play well, it’s the coach’s job. That’s what I get paid for,” Walton said. “To get our players ready to play ball.”
Ava Brown rises to the moment for Florida softball
The Gators’ pitching and defense left much to be desired, but their offense delivered against two of the best pitchers in the sport.
Florida registered nine hits and five earned runs off Kaitlyn Terry and NiJaree Canady. The latter did step up in the seventh inning to prevent UF from walking it off after Kendall Grover led off with a single, but the Gators proved it can handle the two-time National Player of the Year – who they’ll likely see Saturday.
“We just got to stay with our plan,” Brown said. “We came in with a good plan.”
No player had more success than Brown. The No. 3 hitter belted two home runs – one off Terry and one off Canady. Brown said assistant coach Aric Thomas encouraged the Gators to be “tough outs,” and no one is a tougher at-bat than Brown – who holds 40 walks in 97 at bats.
“We can hit hard, so I’m just trying to put my best foot on a good pitch,” Brown said.
Friday’s game validated Walton’s decision to move her up in the starting lineup as she rose in another big game.
“Out of everything I’ve seen from Ava Brown in a big game, Ava Brown is going to be there,” Walton said. “She’s a two-time state champion and rises to the occasion.”
‘We’ve been here before’
As a captain, Brown said she tried to improve players’ body language during the game.
“Eliminate the poor body language. Eliminate letting one mistake become two,” Brown said. “If we keep the wheels together, and we keep everybody on the same page, we’ll be in a good spot.”
Walton said he’s preached body language since Day 1 at Florida. Nearly 80% of Super Regional winners take Game 1, but the coach acknowledged UF’s been the other 21%.
That came in 2017 and 2022. The former saw UF lose Game 1 3-0 to Alabama at home before gaining a 2-0 Game 2 win and 2-1 Game 3 win.
In 2022, the Gators lost 6-0 at No. 3 Virginia Tech but responded with back-to-back wins in Blacksburg by a combined 19-2 score.
The last two Super Regionals came down to a win-or-go-home Game 3 vs. Baylor and Georgia.
In SEC play this season, Florida lost to then No. 1 Tennessee 2-1 in Game 1 in March. That game felt eerily similar to Friday where the Gators left runs on the board, but they responded with victories in Game 2 and 3 to claim the series – its biggest of the season.
“I’m not going to push the panic button,” Walton said. “We knew exactly what they were going to be, and they were that and then some. (In the circle), we got one strikeout, maybe two swings and misses. Good team, good lineup, and we’ll play better tomorrow.”
First pitch on Saturday is set for 12:30 p.m. on ABC.
Noah Ram covers Florida Gators athletics and Gainesville-area high school sports for The Gainesville Sun, GatorSports.com and the USA TODAY Network. Contact him at nram@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X @Noah_ram1 and on Instagram @Ramreporter.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Why Florida softball remains confident after ‘playing terrible’ in loss to Texas Tech
Reporting by Noah Ram, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
