{"id":1442,"date":"2026-05-23T05:04:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T05:04:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1442"},"modified":"2026-05-23T05:04:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T05:04:18","slug":"former-gator-williams-lifts-texas-tech-past-florida-in-super-regional","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1442","title":{"rendered":"Former Gator Williams lifts Texas Tech past Florida in Super Regional"},"content":{"rendered":"
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GAINESVILLE \u2014 Former Gator Mia Williams returned to Florida and pushed her old team to the brink of softball elimination while positioning Texas Tech a step closer to another Women\u2019s College World Series berth.<\/p>\n

Read more Kyle Busch\u2019s cause of death will be released \u2018in due time,\u2019 NASCAR CEO says<\/a><\/p>\n

Williams\u2019 two-run home run off sophomore reliever Katelynn Oxley broke a seventh-inning tie to carry the Red Raiders to a dramatic 10-8 win Friday during the NCAA Super Regionals.<\/p>\n

The junior second baseman, who transferred from UF after last season, drove a 1-0 pitch over the left-field wall with the score 8-8 to halt a gritty Gators\u2019 comeback from a 7-1 deficit.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuper satisfying,\u201d Williams said of her heroics. \u201cBut the job\u2019s not done yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tim Walton\u2019s Gators (51-11) need consecutive wins during the best-of-three series, beginning Saturday on ABC, to return to the WCWS for the third straight year. With a win, the Red Raiders (56-6) will advance to the WCWS for the second time. They reached the 2025 finals before losing to Texas.<\/p>\n

To stay alive, the Gators will need sharper pitching and cleaner defense against a deep Texas Tech lineup.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hit the ball well,\u201d Walton said. \u201cBut we played terrible. I\u2019m not gonna hide from that. It\u2019s on me to get our team ready to play in a big game.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s a series, not a game. I\u2019m not going to push the panic button.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

The Gators used three pitchers, committed two critical errors and repeatedly struggled to prevent extra-base hits as Texas Tech built its lead.<\/p>\n

Still, designated hitter and Texas native Ava Brown nearly carried the Gators back. Brown blasted two home runs and drove in five runs during the fifth and sixth innings.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was legit,\u201d Walton said. \u201cShe\u2019s as hot as anybody we have in the lineup. Out of everything I\u2019ve ever seen out of Ava Brown in a big game, she\u2019s going to be there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brown\u2019s three-run homer off Texas Tech All-American pitcher NiJaree Canady nearly unraveled coach Gerry Glasco\u2019s strategy to save his ace early in the game. Glasco started left-hander Kaitlyn Terry before turning to Canady in the sixth inning after Madison Walker\u2019s solo homer cut the deficit to 8-5.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Brown then tied the game with a three-run shot.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a slugfest and a battle,\u201d Glasco said.<\/p>\n

Williams answered in the seventh, restoring Texas Tech\u2019s lead and setting up Canady to close the game. After Kendall Glover singled to open the bottom of the seventh, Canady retired the next three batters to secure the win.<\/p>\n

Read more Daily Horoscope for May 23, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI thought NiJaree made a statement in the bottom of the seventh to hold that lead and fight through the adversity of the sixth inning,\u201d Gasco said. \u201cI thought it was good for her to work through it, so that she can be at her best tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Florida is expected to face Canady (24-5) again Sunday, while ace Keagan Rothrock likely will return to the circle for the Gators after allowing three runs over four innings Friday.<\/p>\n

Texas Tech seized momentum early after trailing 1-0. The Red Raiders strung together three consecutive doubles with two out in the third inning, aided by shaky Florida defense.<\/p>\n

Terry reached on an error by shortstop Kenleigh Cahalan to start the inning. Rothrock retired the next two hitters before Haile Toney\u2019s double skipped under Cahalan\u2019s glove to score Terry. Cahalan also got a glove on doubles by Lagi Quiroga and Williams, but both balls rolled into left field.<\/p>\n

Florida reliever Olivia Miller recorded just two outs while allowing four runs, including homers by Lauren Allred and Quiroga. Oxley (4-2) took the loss after surrendering Williams\u2019 game-winning homer.<\/p>\n

Williams, the daughter of former Florida basketball star Jason Williams, has flourished in Lubbock. Entering the Super Regionals, she was batting .435 with a team-best 22 home runs and 77 RBIs. Rothrock, her former teammate in Florida\u2019s 2023 recruiting class, hit Williams with the game\u2019s first pitch.<\/p>\n

Emotions also flared in the stands at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium, where a fan was ejected following an altercation involving Williams\u2019 younger sister and father. Campus police initially escorted Jason Williams toward the exit before allowing him to return after determining a fan had struck his daughter with a handheld fan.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew that it would be a series where some athletes would let the emotions get to them,\u201d Gasco said of Williams. \u201cBut I feel like she\u2019s made for the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the loss, Walton praised his team\u2019s resilience after erasing a six-run deficit.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fight and the resiliency was awesome to see and is everything you could ever ask for, but obviously wasn\u2019t enough,\u201d Walton said. \u201cWe talked postgame, just working hard tomorrow, get back at it, and do what we do \u2014 and do what we do better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Winter Springs softball, playing for late teammate, wins state semifinal<\/a><\/p>\n

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com<\/em><\/p>\n

Up next \u2026<\/b><\/h3>\n

Texas Tech (56-6) at Florida (51-11)<\/p>\n

When:<\/b> 12:30 p.m., Saturday; Sunday, if necessary<\/p>\n

Where: <\/b>Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium, Gainesville<\/p>\n

TV:<\/b> ABC (Saturday)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Former Gator Mia Williams hit the go-ahead homer as Texas Tech beat UF 10-8, pushing the Gators to the brink of elimination in Super Regional play.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1441,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1442","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-college-sports","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\nFormer Gator Williams lifts Texas Tech past Florida in Super Regional - Orlando Relocation Report<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1442\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Former Gator Williams lifts Texas Tech past Florida in Super Regional - 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