Gainesville, FL: On May 17, 2025, the Florida Gators defeated the Florida Atlantic Owls 14–6 in a high-energy showdown during the NCAA Gainesville Regional. The game, played at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, featured explosive offense from both sides and dramatic momentum swings.
FAU came out strong in the first inning, taking a 2–0 lead with Kylie Hammonds stealing home and Jesiana Mora scoring on a Bella Cimino double. However, Florida quickly responded in the bottom of the inning with a two-run homer by freshman standout Taylor Shumaker, tying the game at 2–2.
The Owls briefly reclaimed the lead in the fourth inning on Cimino’s solo home run, but the Gators erupted for five runs in the bottom half. The rally was sparked by Ava Brown’s two-run homer, followed by Shumaker’s second home run of the day — a three-run blast that gave Florida a 7–3 advantage. FAU continued to battle and closed the gap in the fifth when Chloe Yeatts delivered a clutch three-run homer to bring the score to 7–6.
Despite FAU’s efforts, Florida’s offense proved too powerful. In the bottom of the fifth, the Gators responded with another huge inning, scoring seven runs. Jocelyn Erickson punctuated the rally with a grand slam that sealed the game under run-rule conditions. Shumaker finished the game with two home runs and five RBIs, while Erickson and Brown also made major contributions at the plate.
“I was just trying to do whatever I need to do for my team, because I just walked Taylor to get bases loaded, and I was not going down without a fight, so I didn’t even realize that it was the game ending or whatever, but I was just excited and running around the bases,” said Erickson.
For FAU, Cimino and Yeatts led the way offensively, but it wasn’t enough to hold off the Gators’ relentless attack. With the win, Florida advanced to the Gainesville Regional final, while FAU’s season came to a close after a hard-fought performance.
“They have different strengths, different weaknesses, and we just focus on a plan that suits each one individually. And you know, I think, I think we executed a pretty good plan today. We had a couple wasted swings, but they’re going to have that with good pitching. And they have good
pitching,” said Florida head coach Tim Walton.
