Alabama Drops Wild Series Finale at Florida 12-7

The Crimson Tide could not hold on to an early lead, and the Gators were able to avoid the sweep Monday night.

Alabama looked to be rolling towards a series sweep in the swamp Monday night. The Crimson Tide started the contest against Florida picking up where it had left off on Sunday with Bailey Dowling hitting a home run in the first inning for the early lead. 

The Crimson Tide would build a three-run lead through two innings, carrying over the momentum from the first two wins; however a disastrous fourth inning on the mound and in the field allowed the Gators to put up six runs and take a lead for the first time in the series.

That big inning gave plus three more in the sixth gave Florida as much as a seven run-lead. Alabama showed some fight in the seventh, but No. 6 Florida was able to hold on for the 12-7 win in Gainesville Monday to night to salvage a game in the series against the No. 4 Crimson Tide. 

Falling dangerously close to run-rule territory in the sixth, the Crimson Tide rallied in the seventh to bring eight runners to the plate led off by Dowling's second home run of the night and third of the series. However, in what was a theme in the game, Alabama only brought two runs in and left the bases loaded to bring the total to 10 runners left on base in the game. 

Alabama outhit the Gators 14 to 10, but all the mistakes in the fourth inning proved too much to overcome. An Ashley Prange home run gave the Tide the 5-3 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth. 

In the home half of the inning, Florida sent nine runner to the plate and scored six runs on just three hits. They were aided by an error, walk, hit by pitch and three wild pitches in the inning to score the six runs. One of the three hits was an infield popup right in front of home plate to lead off the inning. Starter Montana Fouts got the next batter out, but hit the eight-hole hitter and allowed a single to the nine-hole hitter to load the bases for the Gators. 

Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy turned to game two starter Lexi Kilfoyl in the bullpen, but she could never quite find her command and gave up a wild pitch, walk, single and hit by pitch to make it 6-5 Florida. 

The go-ahead run came on a somewhat controversial play at the plate. On the single from Hannah Adams, Sarah Longley easily came around to score. The runner from second, Kendra Falby, got caught in a rundown and was tagged by Ally Shipman, but the ball came loose, and she was ruled safe. On video replay, it appeared that Falby stripped the ball from Shipman's hand, but Alabama did not challenge the play. 

Murphy then brought in Jaala Torrence, who made her first SEC appearance since March 20 against Kentucky, and she also struggled with command. Two more Florida runs scored on wild pitches from Torrence. 

This is the fifth time in nine SEC starts this year that Fouts has given up five earned runs. Coming into this season, she had only given up five earned runs or more in one SEC start ever (April 2, 2021 against Texas A&M) and only three times total in her career (2021 Texas A&M, 2021 WCWS Florida State and 2019 Texas.) 

Dowling was the star of the series for the Crimson Tide. She went 4-6 in the final two games with three home runs and five RBIs. The surging shortstop is hitting .458 with nine RBIs since the South Carolina game on March 26. Kaylee Tow added seven hits in the series, Prange had six, and Jenna Lord had five with four RBIs on the weekend. 

Deja Vu
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— Alabama Softball (@AlabamaSB) April 12, 2022

It was a disappointing finish to the weekend for the Crimson Tide, but it did gain ground in the RPI with a series win against a top-10 team. Alabama drops to 33-6 (10-5 SEC) and will have a few days off before hosting a three-game series against Mississippi State beginning Thursday at 5 p.m.