GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The bats were on fire Saturday night as the Gators defeated the Crimson Tide 12-3 to take the game, and the series over Alabama following their 3-1 victory Friday.
Florida finished the game with 16 hits on the evening, five home runs to tie their season high and no errors for their biggest offensive performance in conference play this season.
A number of Gators had terrific nights at the plate Saturday. Brady McConnell had the best night though, going 3-5 with three runs, three RBI and two homers. He continues to stay dialed in as he's had a hit in 12 of his last 24 at bats.
Jacob Young, Nelson Maldonado, Austin Langworthy and Wil Dalton all went 2-4 on the night. Young drove in three runs, scored twice himself and had a homer. Maldonado finished with two runs as well, two RBI, a double and a homer.
And not to miss out on the fun, Langworthy scored once on top of his two singles and Dalton batted in two runs, had a homer and scored once on the night.
On the mound Tyler Dyson had the reigns for the evening. He looked solid through three, only giving up one run on a solo shot by Drew Williamson and three total hits. But in the fourth things started to unravel.
Dyson forced a fly out by Williamson, but then hit T.J. Reeves with a pitch and walked the next two batters. Head coach Kevin O’Sullivan had seen enough and pulled him for Christian Scott who pitched a fantastic rest of the game before being pulled in the ninth so Ben Specth could close the game out.
Scott finished with the win on 4.2 innings pitched. He only allowed three hits and two runs in those innings while striking out three batters.
The story of the game though was the offense, and McConnell started things off quickly with a solo shot to left in the first. Alabama answered though in the second with Williamson’s solo homer to left to tie things up.
After the Gators went three up, three down in the bottom of the second they broke the game open in the third. Young homered to left, McConnell singled to third on a bunt and then stole second.
Maldonado then homered to left for a two-run bomb and Dalton did the same one batter later to make it 4-1 heading into the fourth.
The Tide cut it to within two in the top of the fourth after loading the bases on Dyson. That’s when Scott came in. Joe Breax was able to fly out to left to score Reeves, but ended the inning after that.
Florida would then add two more in the bottom of the inning on a Young single to right to bring in Blake Reese and Langworthy to push the lead to 7-2.
The route was on at this point, and the Tide couldn’t find make up the ground, especially with the way Scott was pitching. The next two innings went scoreless until the seventh. The Tide added one run on a passed ball that allowed Breax to score from third.
But every time Alabama would catch a break or earn a run the Gators would add at least two more. In the bottom of the seventh Florida drilled three doubles in a row from Maldonado, Kendrick Calilao and Dalton.
They scored two runs off those hits and were up 9-3 heading into the eighth.
In the eighth, Scott managed again to sit every batter up in the top of the inning and the Gators then continued to pour it on in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs via a McConnell two-run shot to left center field and pinch-hitter Kris Armstrong doubled to right to drive in Hunter McMullen.
That made it 12-3 and Florida turned to Specht in the final inning, and he sealed the deal and the series after striking out John Trousdale. The Gators take their first series in conference play in dominating fashion over the Tide.
Game three will be Sunday at noon on SEC Network+.
