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The Alabama softball team evens its three game series with Florida at home with a 3-2 win on Sunday at Rhoads Stadium.
In the bottom of the first, The Crimson Tide (25-10, 6-5 SEC) got on the board. Sophomore Elissa Brown singled and stole second to advance into scoring position and Kaylee Tow immediately followed with a single up the middle. The freshman’s hit drove in Brown, giving Alabama the 1-0 lead.
Florida (33-6, 8-3 SEC) wasn’t on the board until Sophia Reynoso slugged a solo home run to tie the score, 1-1, in the top of the fourth.
T4 | @GatorSo74 really got a hold of that one! Solo HOME RUN over the wall in left field. The game is tied 1-1 with one out. pic.twitter.com/WRPEqQ8aZ5
— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) April 8, 2018
But Bama battled back. In the same inning, Bailey Hemphill hit her eighth home run of the season. The Tide took the lead once again.
B4th | WAS THAT THUNDER????? Bailey Hemphill with a booming home run over the left field wall to put Alabama on top 2-1!!#RollTide pic.twitter.com/LztjgFjUvH
— Alabama Softball (@AlabamaSB) April 8, 2018
“It was great to see us respond immediately each time Florida scored a run,” UA Head Coach Patrick Murphy said in a post game interview.
Tied Again
There were two outs with the Gators batting in the fifth inning when Aleshia Ocasio (14-4) hit a pop up to right field, but Alabama outfielder Kaylee Tow lost the ball in the sun. Ocasio got to third and Janell Wheaton‘s double drove home Ocasio, tying the game, 2-2.
After Wheaton’s RBI double, Murphy swapped junior Courtney Gettins with senior Alexis Osorio (9-4) in the circle while Reynoso had a 1-0 count at the plate. Osorio allowed just two hits over 2.1 innings pitched with four strikeouts to earn the win in in relief.
Alabama Victory
Alabama took the lead one last time, but this time Florida didn’t even the score. In the bottom of the fifth, senior Sydney Booker hit her fourth home run of the season, making it a 3-2 game.
B5th | AN EXCITING NEW CHAPTER ADDED TO THIS GAME!!! Sydney (Book)er with the shot over the left field wall to go up 3-2 in this game!!#RollTide pic.twitter.com/douWsfaNrA
— Alabama Softball (@AlabamaSB) April 8, 2018
Aleshia Ocasio
Ocasio (1.15 ERA) threw 90 pitches and 53 of them were strikes. The senior is now tied for fifth all-time in UF history in career triples as well. She registered her third triple of the season and the eighth of her career.
📽️ Highlights from the battle between the 🐊s and 🐘! The series wraps up tomorrow at 7 on the SEC Network! pic.twitter.com/q9wPJX1eNU
— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) April 8, 2018
Game Three
The series finale between the two teams is set for Monday at 7 p.m. on the SEC Network.
