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Florida defeated Georgia in the third game of the day in OKC, as the Gators move on in the WInners’ Bracket in the 2018 Women’s College World Series. The Gators won by the score of 11-3, needing only five innings to dismiss their fellow SEC peers.
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the 1st inning after Aleshia Ocasio served up a 2-run homer to Justice Milz. But the bottom stanza was where things went south for UGA. The Gators tagged Mary Wilson Avant for five runs in the frame. Jordan Matthews, the hero of their Super Regionals series against Texas A&M, laced a two-RBI double to left field that brought Kayli Kvistad and Nicole DeWitt home to score. Then, Ocasio, UF’s starting pitcher, took Wilson Avant deep with a three-run bomb to right. The home run was Ocasio’s fourth dinger of the year.
UF added another run the ensuing inning after Janell Wheaton reached on a fielder’s choice that allowed Amanda Lorenz to come in to score. UGA was able to get on the board again, this time off a homer by Alyssa DiCarlo. But Georgia was done scoring runs after that.
The fourth inning saw UF’s Jordan Roberts hit a two-run dinger to push the lead up to 8-3. Then, the fifth and final inning of the game started with Hannah Adams going yard for a solo bomb. The final two runs were scored after Kvistad drew a bases loaded walk, and then after Wheaton was hit by a pitch from Keara Napoli.
Despite the rocky start, Ocasio returned to form eventually. She struck out seven batters and allowed only one walk while scattering seven hits over her five innings of work. The top performer at the plate may have been Hanna Adams, who collected the most hits (2) of anyone on the team on Thursday evening.
As the WCWS marches on, Florida will play in their Winners’ Bracket game on Friday night. They will face either the UCLA Bruins or Florida State Seminoles, who are currently playing in OKC. Georgia, meanwhile, will face the loser of that game on Saturday, where they will have to win to avoid a quick stint.