SEC Softball Tournament Live Updates of No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 3 Florida

Two of the most storied softball programs in the SEC meet in the 2026 SEC Tournament semifinals with a spot in the championship game on the line.

The 2-seed Alabama takes on the 3-seed Florida Gators in Lexington, Kentucky on Friday at 4 p.m. The game will air on ESPN.

This will be the first meeting between the two teams this season but the 10th time they have matched up in the SEC tournament. Alabama is looking for its first championship game appearance since it won it all in 2021, and the Gators are trying to reach the conference title game for the first time since winning the championship two seasons ago.

BamaCentral will provide updates throughout Friday's semifinal game.

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Live updates

(latest updates at the top)

FINAL: Alabama 9, Florida 1 (Five Innings)

Bottom 5

Ambrey Taylor singles up the middle to end this game early with the run rule.

Vandagriff doubles down the right field line to score Pupillo. Alabama 8, Florida 1

Giles flies out to center field. Two outs.

Roman draws a walk. Two on with one out. Larissa Preuitt comes in to pinch run for Roman.

Pupillo knocks one out to the wall in left/center for an RBI-double. Alabama 7, Florida 1

Wells pops up for the first out. First time she has been retired today.

Young reaches with a leadoff single through the right side.

Top of the lineup due up for the Crimson Tide. Alabama needs three runs to walk this game off with a run rule.

MID 5: Alabama 6, Florida 1

Top 5

A soft liner is caught by Hawkins to once again strand the bases loaded for Florida.

Moten fields a hard ball hit back to her and gets the lead runner at home. Two outs.

A single up the middle by Walker loads the bases with one out.

Cahalan drops a bloop single out to right center for her first hit against the Crimson Tide.

A fly ball by Thomas out to left field goes for the first out.

For the fourth time in five innings, Florida draws a leadoff walk.

END 4: Alabama 6, Florida 1

Bottom 4

White pops up for the final out, and Alabama strands two runners in scoring position.

Mari Hubbard comes in to pinch hit for Hawkins and pops up the first pitch she sees. Two outs.

Florida will make another pitching change. Katelynn Oxley enters the circle for the Gators.

Taylor singles up the middle, and Vandagriff turns on the jets to get to third. Taylor reaches second on the throw to try to get Vandagriff out.

One-out bunt single from Vandagriff

5-6-7 due up for the Crimson Tide. Alabama needs three runs to get into run-rule territory

MID 4: Alabama 6, Florida 1

Top 4

Erickson grounds out to second base, and Moten has her first 1-2-3 inning of the game. Much needed for Moten after how much she's had to labor in the first three innings.

Shumaker flies out to left on the first pitch for a big second out.

For the first time this game, Moten retires the leadoff hitter. One out.

END 3: Alabama 6, Florida 1

Bottom 3

A groundball to third ends the frame, but Alabama adds two more in the third.

Kinley Pate comes in to pinch run for Wells at second. Roman at the plate for Alabama.

Pupillo drives a single up the middle to score Young, and the two-out rally continues for the Tide. Alabama 6, Florida 1

Wells draws her third walk of the day to put runners on the corners with two outs.

Young drives one off the top of the wall in center field for a two-out double. White is able to score from first after the relay throw is bobbled, and Alabama gets the run right back. Alabama 5, Florida 1

Florida will make a pitching change before Stevens has to face the Alabama lineup for the third time. Olivia Miller (8-1, 1.84 ERA) enters the circle for the Gators.

White reaches with a two-out single to turn over the lineup.

Hawkins grounds out to third base. Two outs.

Taylor flies out to center for the first out.

MID 3: Alabama 4, Florida 1

Top 3

A fly out to right field retires the side and strands the runners.

An error by Taylor at third puts runners on the corners with two outs. McMahon comes out for another visit with Moten adn Giles, and the ESPN cameras show Kaitlyn Pallozzi, Alea Johnson and Braya Hodges warming up in the bullpen.

A ground ball to the left side off the bat of Walker scores the runner from third as she is retired at first for the second out. Florida gets on the board. Alabama 4, Florida 1

Cahalan flies out to left field for the first out. It wasn't deep enough for Walton to send the runner at third.

Florida has its first hit of the game on a double from Thomas. Two runners in scoring position with nobody out for Cahalan.

Another leadoff walk for Moten.

END 2: Alabama 4, Florida 0

Bottom 2

Vandagriff grounds out to end the frame, but Alabama bats around and scores four runs in the second inning.

Giles reaches second on the throw in, and Alabama has two runners in scoring position for Vandagriff.

Giles lines one out to left field, and it two more runners come in to score. Alabama 4, Florida 0

Roman singles out to right field to drive in a run. Alabama 2, Florida 0

Pupillo follows it up with a walk of her own, and the bases are loaded with two outs for Roman.

Wells draws a walk to put runners on the corners with two outs for Pupillo.

Young hits a ball to the right side that moves Hawkins to third with two outs for Wells.

White lays down a sacrifice bunt to move Hawkins into scoring position with one out for the top of the lineup.

Hawkins is hit by a pitch.

Ambrey Taylor leads off the bottom of the second with a home run off the scoreboard in left field. Alabama 1, Florida 0

7-8-9 due up for Alabama, looking for its first run

MID 2: Alabama 0, Florida 0

Top 2

Moten gets Florida's home-run leader Erickson to fly out in foul territory in left field to strand the bases loaded. She's been playing with fire the first two innings but has kept the Gators off the board.

Big strikeout of Shumaker for the second out. Bases still loaded.

Moten ends up walking Comia anyway, so Florida has the bases loaded with one out for the top of the lineup. Moten is already up to five walks in the game.

A wild pitch moves both runners into scoring position with one out.

Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy goes out to meet with the entire infield after Moten falls behind in the count to the Florida 9-hole hitter.

Hawkins gets the lead runner on a ball chopped to her at SS. She nearly gets the double play but can't convert in time. One out.

Back-to-back walks for the second inning in a row. Giles goes out to meet with Moten.

Moten gets up 0-2 in the count, but then loses Walker for her second leadoff walk in as many innings.

END 1: Alabama 0, Florida 0

Bottom 1- Alabama batting

Vandagriff strikes out swinging, and both pitches get out of jams in the first inning with strikeouts.

Giles strikes out on three pitches. Two outs. The inning's hopes rest on Audrey Vandagriff.

Roman reaches on a dropped ball by Shumaker in center. Bases loaded with one out for Giles.

Pupillo strikes out on three pitches for the first out.

Wells walks on four pitches. Two on with nobody out for Alabama.

Leadoff single for Young.

Young, Wells and Pupillo due up to start things off for the Crimson Tide.

MID 1: Alabama 0, Florida 0

Top 1- Florida batting

It may have taken over 30 pitches, but Moten gets out of the first inning unscathed.

And Moten gets out of it with her third swinging strikeout in a row to strand two runners in scoring position. The final strikeout was former Alabama player Kenleigh Cahalan.

Another big strikeout for Moten, and if we've got our first Moten stomp of the game. Two outs.

HUGE swinging strikeout of Brown for the first out after another 3-2 count.

A passed ball moves both runners up 60 feet with no outs.

Back-to-back walks for the Gators. Two on with nobody out. Moten is having a hard time finding the strike zone in the early going.

Alabama pitching coach Lance McMahon goes out for a visit with Moten after she falls behind in the count to Erickson.

Shumaker draws a leadoff walk on a 3-2 count for Florida.

The first pitch from Moten is a ball, and this game is underway.

Starting lineups

Pregame

Today's umpires: Cam Ellison (home plate), Marty Abezetian (1B), Chris Nabors (3B)

Alabama will be wearing its throwback uniforms today.

⚪️Throwback Unis for SEC Semifinals⚪️#Team30 #RollTide pic.twitter.com/0gBlkLjQsT
— Alabama Softball (@AlabamaSB) May 8, 2026

Patrick Murphy sticks with the same starting nine from the quarterfinals. Freshman Vic Moten gets the start in the circle for the Crimson Tide.

As the higher seed, Alabama will be the designated home team and bat second.

Earlier in the day, Alabama ace Jocelyn Briski was named the SEC Pitcher of the Year. Head coach Patrick Murphy was named the SEC Coach of the Year. Briski threw seven innings and 109 pitches against Arkansas on Thursday in the quarterfinals, so it is unlikely she will start against the Gators, but she likely will be available from the bullpen if needed.

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