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 9-3 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