Gators baseball advances to SEC Tournament semifinals with wild win over Alabama

Florida won the early game against ‘Bama (and what a crazy game it was). Now, the Gators get to play the back half of a split doubleheader against Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament semifinals.

Florida baseball came out on top of a wild SEC Tournament game against the Alabama Crimson Tide Saturday, 11-6.

[autotag]Wyatt Langford[/autotag] did it all, starting with leadoff home runs in the first and second innings. He’d drive in another on a ground out to first base in the third and score the go-ahead run in the sixth after drawing a walk on a full count. The Gators needed every bit of that offense today as [autotag]Anthony Ursitti[/autotag] was anything but sharp in his first collegiate start.

Ursitti gave up Florida’s 4-0 lead in the bottom of the frame on a Dominic Temez RBI single and a Zane Denton three-run homer. He calmed down in the second but ran into trouble again in the third. Drew Williamson hit a two-run homer to make it 6-6, and Ursitti was out of the game shortly after that.

[autotag]Nick Ficarrotta[/autotag] came in to relieve Ursitti and lasted the rest of the game without surrendering a run. He did get into a jam in the sixth after the Gators took the lead in the top of the inning but got out of it with a pop-up to first base that stranded men on the corners.

The final blows came in the top of the ninth courtesy of the bottom of the Florida lineup. [autotag]Josh Rivera[/autotag] reached on a fielder’s choice scoring Jud Fabian, and [autotag]Mac Guscette[/autotag] sent a three-run homer to left field to put things out of reach. Ficarrotta stranded two more Alabama players in the ninth to finish off a 91-pitch day.

“Fic, that was phenomenal,” Guscette said. “Me and Fic have been close throughout the years and that was phenomenal. I don’t even know what to say about him.”

[autotag]Jac Caglianone[/autotag] also stayed hot. He drove in a run with a double in the first and finished the day 3-for-4. In fact, Caglianone, Rivera and Guscette might be the best-hitting Nos. 6-8 hitters in the tournament right now. They went a combined 8-for-14.

The win means that Florida gets a few hours to rest before heading back out onto the field against Texas A&M at 5:30 p.m. EDT later on in the day. Tonight’s probable pitchers aren’t posted just yet, but [autotag]Garrett Milchin[/autotag] is a good bet for the Gators. Whoever it is, expect the bullpen to come in early.

The Aggies made short work of the Gators last time around, finishing them in seven innings via the mercy rule in round two of the tournament. Florida’s offense has looked much better in the two games since, though.

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