Gators Take Down Tide to Avoid Sweep in the Swamp

The No. 6 Florida Gators softball team (31-9, 8-7) defeated the No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide (33-6, 10-5) 12-7, to avoid the sweep.

Alabama pitcher Montana Fouts started in the circle for the Tide. She pitched 3.1 innings, picking up: five hits, six earned runs, two walks and four strikeouts.

Shortstop Bailey Dowling hit a two-run home run to center field, putting the Tide up early in the first inning.

Third baseman Ashley Prange hit an RBI single in the top of the second inning, after: designated player Jenna Lord drew the walk, and second baseman Megan Bloodworth single to push the Tie lead to three.

However, Florida wouldn't go down without a fight. Gators designated player Reagan Walsh hit a solo home run to put the Gators on the board in the bottom of the second. Then, Florida tied things up with a two-RBI single by Walsh in the bottom of the third.

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Prange gave the Tide the lead again in the top of the fourth with a two-run home run to right-center field.

Unfortunately for the Tide, the Gators had a monster six run fourth inning. Florida picked up three hits, one walk, one hit-by-pitch, three wild pitches, and a throwing error.

Lexi Kilfoyl came in for Fouts, for 13 pitches before exiting the game. Kilfoyl had one hit, one walk, and one hit-by-pitch. Jaala Torrence entered the game in relief.

The Tide picked up a couple hits down the stretch, but could not make anything of them. First baseman Kaylee Tow hit a single in the top of the fifth inning, and Prange singled in the top of the sixth inning.

Florida added three more runs to its score in the bottom of the sixth inning with four hits, a sac fly, and a sac bunt.

Torrence finished her night pitching 2.2 innings with four hits, three earned runs, and one walk.

With three outs left, the Tide tried to get things rolling with: a solo home run from Dowling, a single from Tow, a double from designated player Jenna Lord, Bloodworth and pinch hitter Savannah Woodard were hit-by-pitch, a single for right fielder Kat Grill; but the deficit was too large to complete a comeback.

Former Alabama softball player Skylar Wallace went 1-2 with the Gators, with two walks.

The Alabama Crimson Tide softball team hosts the Mississippi State Bulldogs starting Thursday, April 14, 2022. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. CST. The game is set to air on the SEC Network. Radio coverage will be on Me TV 97.5, or the ME TV FM app starting at 4:50 p.m. CST.