Alabama Baseball Grabs First SEC Win, Avoids Sweep Against Gators
The University of Alabama baseball team notched its first win in conference play this season in the second game of a doubleheader Friday night against the Florida Gators, earning a hard-fought 6-3 victory.
The team’s match scheduled for Saturday was moved up to Friday and played as the second match of the doubleheader.
Grayson Hitt earned his third victory of the season, and Kade Woods was awarded the save, his first of the season. Gators’ starting ace Hurston Waldrep suffered his first loss of the season.
After falling to a walk off in the first game, the Crimson Tide bats wasted no time getting going early. Drew Williamson continued his dominance at the plate from game one, knocking in the first two runs of the game in the first with a two-RBI single. Andrew Pinckney singled in Williamson for a quick 3-0 lead for the Tide.
“To get walked off is a tough one, but then to come out and score three against one of the best pitchers in the country, I think that says a lot about our club,” said Alabama head coach Brad Bohannon.
Florida responded quickly with two runs of its own, courtesy of a two-run blast from Josh Rivera, but a solo home run from Tommy Siedl in the top of the second inning held off the Florida threat for the moment.
After the short outburst of scoring early, pitchers from both sides settled down and allowed no runs until the bottom of the seventh inning. The Gators broke the scoreless streak with three consecutive singles off Alabama’s Zane Probst that scored one run.
Alabama finished the job in the top of the eighth inning with a two-run home run by Caden Rose after Pinckney reached on an error, and held the three-run lead for the final inning.
The Crimson Tide improves to 17-4 on the season and 1-2 in SEC play. They return home to Tuscaloosa to face UAB on Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT. Coverage will be on Tide 100.9 FM and the Tide 100.9 app.
Alabama Baseball 2023 Roster