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HOOVER, Ala. — Moments after a crushing extra-innings loss to Florida on Wednesday night, veteran Alabama left fielder Tommy Seidl said the Crimson Tide needed to flush the result out of its system. 

The team was set to go again at the Hoover Met on a turnaround of roughly 15 hours, this time staring down the barrel of elimination after a promising start to the tournament. What’s more, it would be rival Auburn that took the diamond against Alabama — adding more intensity to a game that already carried massive stakes.

The Crimson Tide took to the task, overcoming the Tigers and getting back on the right track with a three-run victory on Thursday afternoon. Seidl was the early difference maker, lifting a home run to left center in his first plate appearance since a clutch hit against Florida that put Alabama up three runs before the Gators' fateful comeback.

“It helps to have somebody with that kind of pop in your lineup every day," Drew Williamson said. "That guy brings it in so many other ways than just hitting, too. He's like the captain of the team. He's a great leader. Nothing is going to hold him back or hold him down. He's just a great guy overall, so it's great to have somebody like that in your lineup.”

Seidl went 3-for-3 at the plate in Thursday’s game, scoring each of Alabama’s first two runs prior to exiting for precautionary reasons. By the time the former Harvard graduate left the game, momentum was squarely in the Crimson Tide's corner. 

He had flushed Wednesday’s result from his mind.

Alabama interim head coach Jason Jackson said Seidl is not dealing with anything serious. He did not specify whether that means the left fielder is going to be available for Friday’s game or any other games the Crimson Tide plays in the SEC tournament. 

Seidl is batting .500 in Hoover (6-for-12).

The Crimson Tide will face the loser of Thursday evening’s Florida-Vanderbilt game. If Florida wins, Friday turns into a rematch of Wednesday’s classic. If Vanderbilt wins, Alabama faces a team it beat in a three-game series during the regular season. 

That game is scheduled to get underway at approximately 6:30 p.m. CT on the SEC Network.

See Also:

For Alabama Baseball, Response is Everything After Heart-Wrenching Loss

BamaCentral Instant Analysis: No. 1 Florida 7, No. 9 Alabama 6

Alabama Baseball Holds On to Beat Auburn, Remains Alive at SEC Tournament