Taylor Shumaker hit a three-run homer and drove in five runs as the Florida Gators cruised to a 12-0 victory over the Florida A&M Rattlers at Pressly Softball Stadium in the opening game of the Gainesville Regional of the NCAA softball tournament Friday.

Shumaker powered the offense for Florida, finishing 3-for-4. Teammate Jocelyn Erickson went 3-for-3 and scored three runs. Ava Brown added a pair of hits and two RBIs, while Townsen Thomas also drove in two runs. Gabi Comia chipped in with a 2-for-2 performance. The Gators' pitching staff was nearly flawless, with starter Keagan Rothrock throwing three perfect innings while striking out six. Katelynn Oxley allowed one hit in an inning of relief, and Leah Stevens pitched a scoreless fifth to close out the run-rule game.

The Rattlers (32-21) struggled to generate any offense, managing just a single hit. Amya Ramos broke up the combined no-hit bid with a single in the top of the fourth inning, finishing 1-for-2. Florida A&M's pitching could not slow down the Gators' bats, as starter Zoryana Hughes was charged with six earned runs on five hits over two innings. Reliever Sariah Espada also surrendered six earned runs in her two innings of work.

Florida (49-10) wasted no time getting on the board, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI double by Kenleigh Cahalan. The Gators broke the game open with a four-run second inning, featuring an RBI single from Shumaker and a two-run double from Brown. They added three more runs in the third before Shumaker delivered the biggest blow in the fourth, a three-run home run that extended the lead to 11-0 and helped seal the run-rule victory.

Up next: Regional play in the NCAA softball tournament continues Saturday.

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