The Extra Point: Recapping Alabama Baseball's Series with No. 9 Florida

The Crimson Tide competed with the Gators and snuck out of the series with a Sunday win.

Author:
Clayton Connick
Publish date:
Mar 21, 2022 4:08 PM EDT

Entering the weekend, Alabama baseball had not defeated Florida since 2015. The Gators had stifled the Crimson Tide for six seasons, a 12-game winning streak in the series. Alabama was able to snap that streak on Sunday afternoon, and it happened in a wildly exciting way.

Throughout the game, Florida would take a lead, and Alabama would quickly match it. It came down to the bottom of the ninth, and Alabama was down 7-6. Andrew Pinckney was hit by a pitch, and Bryce Eblin kept his impressive game going with a single, putting runners at the corners with one down.

In stepped Jim Jarvis. Jarvis squared on the first pitch of the at-bat, and Pinckney broke for the plate to score. The small ball approach paid off for Alabama, and the game was tied.

After a rocket off the chest of the third baseman by Dominic Tamez, Zane Denton, the BamaCentral Crimson Tide Athlete of the Week, was due up after hitting a home run in the eighth. He snuck a single through the five-man infield, and the Crimson Tide emerged victorious, avoiding the sweep.

Zane Denton after his solo home run in the eighth inning.

Yes, Alabama lost the series overall. However, the Sunday win gives the Crimson Tide momentum and confidence as SEC play continues. Florida is a really strong team, and the No. 9 ranking may be conservative from what the Gators were able to do offensively this weekend scoring 26 runs over the three games.

On the mound, Alabama could definitely use some work on not giving up the long ball. 14 of the Gators aforementioned 26 runs in the series were scored on home runs, with 10 total round-trippers. Keeping the ball in the yard will have to be a point of emphasis for the Crimson Tide in practice this week.

Offensively, Alabama has to leave its SEC opening series feeling uplifted. Scoring a total of 18 runs, the Crimson Tide was able to get runners over and get them in. Alabama displayed a lot of progress in that category this weekend after only scoring one run in three games against Texas three weeks ago.

As the weather has warmed up, so have the Alabama bats. The Crimson Tide is now averaging 5.6 runs per game and batting .299 as a team. These are both solid numbers, and if Alabama stays around these averages, it will provide many opportunities for wins.

Next, Alabama will head to Birmingham for a midweek game with UAB on Tuesday night, followed by a weekend series in Starkville with the defending national champion Mississippi State Bulldogs.