Live Blog: No. 18 Alabama Baseball at No. 23 Florida (Game 1)

SEC Tournament action begins next week for the conference's baseball clubs, but first up is the final series of the regular season. No. 18 Alabama has surging No. 23 Florida on its plate in a road series that is instrumental in shaping the postseason future of the winning team.

The Crimson Tide (39-13, 15-12 SEC) bolstered its hosting chances by a substantial margin with a series win at home against No. 10 Georgia last weekend. Rob Vaughn's team effectively controls its own destiny in that regard: Sweep this series at Florida, and Alabama more than locks a host spot down.

Florida (35-18, 13-14 SEC) has rallied from a 1-11 start in SEC play to get to this point, coming off a road series win over then-No. 1 Texas. Getting hot at the right time is as crucial a component to postseason success as any, and the Gators have checked that box in adept fashion.

As an added bonus where NCAA Tournament stakes are concerned, this series pits two teams against each other which are both in the top 15 in RPI. Alabama is eighth and Florida is 13th.

First pitch in Thursday's contest in Gainesville is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network+. Right-hander Tyler Fay gets the ball for the Crimson Tide. Alabama has not won an SEC road series since the opening weekend of league play in March, when it swept Texas A&M.

Be sure to refresh your browser for live updates from the series opener between Alabama baseball and Florida. The most recent updates will appear at the top.

Ninth Inning:

Clemente retires Alabama in order in the top of the ninth. Kade Snell pops up to end it. FINAL: Florida 7, Alabama 6.

Eighth Inning:

Blackwood takes to the mound again for the eighth and leaves a man on second with no further damage. Last call coming up for Alabama, training by a run. Top of the order due up against Clemente.

Plattner pops up, vanquishing a golden opportunity with runners on second and third. Staton had reached second on an error. Crimson Tide down to its final three offensive outs pf regulation, down 7-6.

Torres is aboard via a one-out base on balls.

Jake Clemente is now pitching for the Gators.

Seventh Inning:

Wilson hits into an inning-ending double play. It was what the Crimson Tide needed, but the damage is done. Florida leads 7-6 after being down 5-0.

Blackwood walks Yost. This inning has real potential to go from bad to worse for Alabama.

Donay hits a two-run shot with one out, giving Florida the lead. Florida 7, Alabama 6. That ball had a lot of heat on it and went into the home bullpen. Three RBIs for Donay.

Jason Jackson goes to get Heiberger, and the Crimson Tide brings in righty JT Blackwood. Has served both as a bullpen arm and midweek starter this season. His results as a starter are better than those as a reliever.

Heiberger walks Evans to begin the frame.

Alabama does not muster any offense leading up to the seventh inning stretch. The visitors go down 1, 2, 3. Crimson Tide 6, Gators 5.

Sixth Inning:

Stripling grounds out, closing the book on the sixth-inning threat. Heiberger cleans up the mess and keeps his team's lead intact going into the late innings.

Boser singles, delivering another Florida run in the form of Brookins and making it a one-run game again. Alabama 6, Florida 5.

Brookins doubles, bringing the tying run to the plate in the sixth.

Ashton Wilson just misses a home run, and Fowler tracks it all the way and catches it in the midst of a dead sprint.

Heyman is now in the dugout in a sling. Heiberger is still on the mound.

Fowler strikes out swinging, stranding two. The Crimson Tide gets one back in the sixth.

Plattner grounds it to third base, but Stripling can't pick the ball and Hodo, who never stopped running, scores from second. Alabama 6, Florida 4. An error to Lawson. His ninth of 2025.

Staton works a lengthy plate appearance but meets the same fate as Mizell. Two away.

Down goes Coleman Mizell by way of a swinging strikeout.

Torres walks following a long at-bat. Just like that, the Crimson Tide has some traffic with nobody out and a chance to stretch the lead back out.

Hodo leads off the sixth inning with a double. The ball was playable and lost in the lights, but the Crimson Tide will take what it can get.

Luke McNeillie replaces Liam Peterson on the hill for Florida.

Fifth Inning:

Heiberger strikes Yost out swinging, leaving the bases loaded and stopping the bleeding. Florida is all the way back in the game, however. Alabama 5, Florida 4 through five in Gainesville.

Matthew Heiberger will now come in and take the mound in relief for Braylon Myers. It seems as though Alabama is trying anything it can just to get out of this fifth inning. Georgia scored eight runs in the fifth in last weekend's series opener.

Donay grounds one to third base, pushing Torres back and just beating the throw to first. The play was under review but upheld quickly. Alabama 5, Florida 4. Garrett Staton might be the loneliest man in the SEC right now.

Cyr walks, loading the bases.

Ty Evans doubles in another run, and now all the energy in the game is on Florida's side. Alabama 5, Florida 3. A much-needed pair of runs for the Gators. Runners on second and third with two out.

End of the line for Tyler Fay after 4.2 innings. He's pitched well and the Gators' second run is not his fault (going in the books unearned), but the Alabama staff doesn't want the wheels falling off like they did last weekend against Georgia. Braylon Myers will pitch.

Stripling singles home Boser. Alabama 5, Florida 2. Serious momentum is brewing for the home team.

After review, the safe call for Lawson is upheld.

Brendan Lawson singles to put runners on the corners. Breakthrough opportunity for Florida thanks to the error by Staton. Lawson is nearly thrown out at first but gets back in time.

Staton makes an error on a ball hit up the middle, keeping the Gators alive in the fifth. Just completely misplayed it. The Condron Ballpark crowd is trying to rally Florida.

Brookins strikes out looking in his first at-bat of the 2025 campaign.

Peterson rolls through a clean fifth inning, sending Alabama back to the dugout in order. His pitch count is getting up there but he struck out two men in the inning.

Fourth Inning:

Hayden Yost pops up to end the fourth with a runner left on second.

Florida's first run of the game scores from third on a wild pitch by Fay. The pitcher didn't get to the dish for a play at the plate. Alabama 5, Florida 1.

Fowler grounds out, retiring the Crimson Tide in inning number four.

The Gators' Blake Brookins will make his first appearance of the 2025 season in left field, burning his redshirt. Blake Cyr shifts over to second base. Florida's depth has evaporated due to the litany of injuries this season. Two outs in the top of the fourth.

Florida second baseman Justin Nadeau ran into some bad luck on that double-play ball and will leave the game after getting struck on the fingernail. The injury bug has hit the home team hard tonight.

Will Plattner grounds into a double play, negating the leadoff runner. The lineup card will now turn back over with nobody on base.

Garrett Staton is hit by the first pitch he sees in the fourth.

Third Inning:

Fay works a 1, 2, 3 inning in the home half. The early innings have strongly gone in the Crimson Tide's favor with a 5-0 lead.

Coleman Mizell flies out, but the visitors plate three in the third. The Gators have work to do to get back in this one.

Jason Torres nabs his 37th RBI of the year with a run-scoring single. The Crimson Tide continues to get to Peterson, who's been visited at the mound already this inning. Alabama 5, Florida 0.

Justin Lebron sends a two-run blast to left center to double the Alabama lead. Home run number 18 for him on the season, a team best. Alabama 4, Florida 0.

Second Inning:

The Gators get a two-out baserunner courtesy of an error from Hodo, but a lineout to center closes the frame with no damage on the scoreboard. Alabama 2, Florida 0.

Liam Peterson sends Alabama to the dugout in order in the top half of the second. No strikeouts by the Alabama bats in the frame, but Peterson gets his feet back under him.

Stripling will now play first base for Florida. Starting first baseman Brody Donay replaces Heyman behind the plate. Big loss for the Gators.

First Inning:

Tyler Fay gets a swinging strikeout, retiring the Florida side in the first inning with a man on. Alabama 2, Florida 0.

Gator catcher Luke Heyman is hit by a two-strike pitch with two out. He exits and Landon Stripling will run for him.

Florida responds with a leadoff single from shortstop Bobby Boser.

Will Hodo goes down swinging to end the top of the first.

Richie Bonomolo Jr. starts the scoring with a no-doubt home run to left field. Two-out hits are arguably a statistic that cannot be overvalued. Alabama 2, Florida 0.

Bryce Fowler singles on a 3-2, the ninth pitch of the at-bat, to start the game.

Pregame:

Alabama's lineup:
1. Bryce Fowler, right field
2. Justin Lebron, shortstop
3. Kade Snell, left field
4. Richie Bonomolo Jr., center field
5. Will Hodo, first base
6. Jason Torres, third base
7. Coleman Mizell, designated hitter
8. Garrett Staton, second base
9. Will Plattner, catcher
P: Tyler Fay (RHP)

Florida's lineup:
1. Bobby Boser, shortstop
2. Brendan Lawson, third base
3. Luke Heyman, catcher
4. Ty Evans, designated hitter
5. Blake Cyr, left field
6. Brody Donay, first base
7. Hayden Yost, center field
8. Ashton Wilson, right field
9. Justin Nadeau, second base
P: Liam Peterson (RHP)

The last time Alabama baseball played a series in Gainesville was March 16-17, 2023 (with a doubleheader on the second day). The Crimson Tide picked up just one win and lost the series.