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No. 18 Alabama scores seven in the first to take series opener vs. Florida

by:Cooper Taylor•04/17/25
Screenshot 2025-04-17 at 5.42.33 PM
Courtesy of Alabama Athletics

Alabama exploded for seven runs in the first inning while holding off a late Florida push to take the first game, 7–4. Florida head coach Tim Walton gave Keagan Rothrock the start, while Alabama turned to Jocelyn Briski to open the series.

The Crimson Tide jumped on Rothrock early. Freshman Audrey Vandagriff led off with a single and swiped her nation-leading 47th stolen base of the season. After a walk to Kali Heivilin, a misplayed sacrifice bunt allowed two runs to score. Marlie Giles then followed with an RBI single, and Lauren Johnson’s flare double plated another.

With the bases loaded, Vandagriff returned to the plate and delivered the big blow — a three-run double to cap a seven-run first inning. Rothrock faced 11 batters before being pulled. Olivia Miller came on in relief and ended the inning with a groundout.

Florida got on the board in the bottom half of the inning. Kendra Falby walked, advanced to third on two wild pitches, and scored on Taylor Shumaker’s RBI groundout to make it 7–1.

Both teams settled in over the next few innings. Miller retired eight straight batters at one point, while Briski held Florida to two runs through 4.1 innings. The Gators chipped away in the third with a Gabi Comia single, a Falby single and an error to trim the deficit to 7–2.

Miller continued to stifle the Alabama offense into the sixth inning, finishing with 4.1 scoreless frames of relief. In the fifth, Rylee Holtorf’s RBI single brought Florida within four. After a walk to Falby, Alabama called on Catelyn Riley out of the bullpen. Inheriting a 2–0 count on Jocelyn Erickson, Riley delivered a clutch strikeout, then induced a groundout from Shumaker to end the inning.

The two teams exchanged scoreless sixth innings. Ava Brown doubled with one out in the seventh and scored on an RBI single from Falby. After a hit by pitch to Erickson, the Gators brought the tying run to the plate, but Shumaker’s fly out to right sealed the win for the Crimson Tide.

Riley held Florida to one run over the final 2.2 innings to earn her second save of the season. Briski also nabbed her twelfth win of the year. Game 2 of the series is set for Friday at 6 p.m. ET on SEC Network.

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