Softball Run-Rules Florida, 9-1, to Secure 10th SEC Tournament Championship Appearance

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Alabama softball needed just five innings to dispatch Florida, 9-1, as the run-rule win advances the Crimson Tide to its 10th SEC Tournament Championship appearance Saturday at 4 p.m. CT on ESPN against the winner of tonight’s Texas vs. Georgia semifinal game.

Alabama (49-6) is now 49-30 all-time at the SEC Tournament, passing LSU for the most wins all-time in the event. The Tide is 6-3 in SEC Tournament Championship games, previously winning titles in 1998, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2012 and 2021. Alabama has never faced Texas at the SEC Tournament and is 5-2 against Georgia at the event, including a 2-0 win for the Tide in the 2005 championship game.

Alabama jumped on Florida (48-10) with a four-run second inning that was sparked by a solo home run by Ambrey Taylor to lead off the half-inning, part of a 3-for-4 day with two RBIs for the freshman. The Gators got a run back in the top of the third but the Tide responded with two in the bottom half to make it a 6-1 ballgame heading to the third. Neither team scored in the fourth and the Tide defense got out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the fifth to keep the score the same. Three runs away from a potential run-rule, Alexis Pupillo got the scoring started with an RBI double before another RBI double from Audrey Vandagriff made it 8-1 and put the potential game-ending run at third. Taylor sent the second pitch of her at-bat into the gap in left as Larissa Prueitt scored to end the game.

Vic Moten (19-4) got the complete-game win in the circle, stranding 10 Gators on base while holding them to just three hits.

“Number one, Florida is a great team. They will be a hell of a representative of the SEC in the NCAA Tournament. It was just a really good day for us. I know Vic [Moten] may not have had her best stuff, but when she did throw strikes she did pretty well. [Jena Young and Ambrey Tayor] were awesome, both 3-for-4 and had great days. It was just a really great win for us.”

Highlights

• Alabama is now 49-30 all-time at the SEC Tournament, passing LSU for the most wins at the event
• The Crimson Tide will be making its 10th SEC Tournament Championship game appearance, including previous wins in 1998, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2012 and 2021
• The win is Alabama’s 16th run-rule of the season and its first at the SEC Tournament since a 10-1 win in five innings against Florida in the 2012 Championship game in Tuscaloosa
• The Tide has hit at least one home run in 43 of its 55 games this season (78 percent)
• Taylor’s home run is the team’s 88th of the season, one shy of tying the 2019 team for fourth on Alabama’s single-season records

Scoring Summary

• B2 | Ambrey Taylor led off the half-inning with a solo home run off the scoreboard (1-0, 0 Out)
• B2 | Ana Roman dropped an RBI single into right field (2-0, 2 Out)
• B2 | Marlie Giles drove in a pair with a bases-loaded single (4-0, 2 Out)
• T3 | Florida scored on an RBI groundout (4-1, 1 Out)
• B3 | Kristen White scored from first following a Jena Young double and a Florida error (5-1, 2 Out)
• B3 | Alexis Pupillo send a first pitch single up the middle to score Young (6-1, 2 Out)
• B5 | Pupillo knocked an RBI double off the wall in left center (7-1, 1 Out)
• B5 | Audrey Vandagriff laced an RBI double down the right field line (8-1, 2 Out)
• B5 | Taylor secured the run-rule win with an RBI single (9-1, 2 Out)

Up Next: 2026 SEC Softball Tournament Championship (Lexington, Ky.)

• Saturday, May 9 vs. Winner of Texas vs. Georgia – 4 p.m. CT – ESPN