{"id":200236,"date":"2026-03-21T09:02:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T09:02:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/200236\/"},"modified":"2026-03-21T09:02:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T09:02:14","slug":"no-18-gators-blanked-by-crimson-tide-in-game-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/200236\/","title":{"rendered":"No. 18 Gators Blanked by Crimson Tide in Game One"},"content":{"rendered":"

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. \u2013\u00a0No. 18 Florida was no-hit in a shutout effort by Alabama, 6-0, for their first SEC loss of the season in the series opener at Sewell-Thomas Stadium on Friday night.
\n\u00a0
\nThe Gators (19-4, 3-1 SEC) will look to even the series against the Crimson Tide (16-7, 1-3 SEC) on Saturday after being no-hit for the first time since June 1, 1963 against Jacksonville. Alabama starter Tyler Fay went the distance, striking out 13 Gators and walking two.
\n\u00a0
\nFlorida and Alabama traded zeros in the first inning, as UF starter Liam Peterson<\/a> fanned Justin Lebron and Karson Bowen<\/a> hosed leadoff man Bryce Fowler attempting to steal second base. Alabama went on to strike first in the bottom of the second, using an RBI single to left from Justin Osterhouse and RBI sacrifice bunt by Luke Vaughn to take an early, 2-0 lead.
\n\u00a0
\nPeterson rebounded to blank Alabama in the third, aided by another runner caught stealing at second by Bowen for the third out of the frame. Trouble arose again in the fourth as the Tide tacked on four more runs in the home half to jump out to a 6-0 advantage, beginning with an RBI groundout to shortstop by Vaughn and a run-scoring single to center from Brennan Holt. Fowler later added an RBI double to left-center and Brady Neal plated Fowler from second on a bunt single to third base.
\n\u00a0
\nChasing six runs, Fay continued to hold the Gators in check by matching Peterson with a scoreless fifth inning and tossing another in the top of the sixth. Redshirt sophomore Caden McDonald<\/a> took over on the mound for Florida in the home half of the frame, navigating around a two-out walk to send the matchup into the seventh.
\n\u00a0
\nAfter stranding a Kyle Jones<\/a> walk in the top of the seventh, McDonald induced a 6-4-3 double play after a leadoff walk. Rookie left-hander Eli Blair<\/a> got Vaughn to pop out to third base for the third out.
\n\u00a0
\nBlair struck out three while stranding a pair of runners in scoring position in the eighth. Florida attempted to spoil Fay’s attempt at a no-hitter in the ninth, but the Gators went down in order as the Crimson Tide took the series opener.
\n\u00a0
\nFay (4-2) pitched Alabama’s first solo no-hitter since 1942, using 132 pitches to complete the game. The junior right-hander recorded 13 strikeouts against two walks.
\n\u00a0
\nPeterson (1-1) received his first loss of the campaign, allowing a season-high nine hits for six earned runs in five innings. The UF ace struck out four and walked two.<\/p>\n

NOTABLES
\n \n<\/p>\n


\n\tFlorida was no hit by an opponent for the first time in nearly 63 years, when Jacksonville’s Tom McMillan pitched a seven-inning no-hitter on June 1, 1963.
\n\tAlabama pitched its first solo no hitter since the 1942 campaign.
\n\tThe Gators are now 17-5 in their last 22 SEC games dating back to last season.
\n\tFlorida will now attempt to avoid having its league-best, seven-SEC-series win streak snapped. <\/p>\n


\n\tBowen threw out the first-two Alabama would-be base stealers in game one, matching the Tide’s caught-stealing total for the entire season entering the night (47-for-49).
\n\tLawson failed to reach base for the first time in 23 games this season.
\n\tThe Gators have won 36 of their last 45 regular-season games dating back to 2025.
\n\tFlorida is now 72-61 all-time and 25-32 on the road against Alabama.
\n\tThe Gators are 31-9 overall and 11-5 in Tuscaloosa in the series under Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan<\/a>.
\n\tFlorida has won 18 of the last 22 meetings with Alabama and 25 of the last 30.
\n\tFriday night’s official attendance was 3,610. <\/p>\n

\u00a0
\nFROM HEAD COACH KEVIN O’SULLIVAN
\nOn Fay’s pitching performance\u2026
\n“Obviously, he was locating all of his pitches, changing speeds, throwing the ball on both sides. Our guys kept complaining about the strike zone, but I think the umpire did a really good job behind the plate, to be quite honest with you. Certainly, we’ve got to learn from it. We can’t blame an umpire; I know that. So, we’re going to have to regroup and get them ready to play tomorrow. Obviously, it’s disappointing, but it’s one game. But the competitive spirit was a lot to be desired tonight.”
\n\u00a0
\nOn the importance of small ball in tonight’s game \u2026
\n“Yeah, I mean, we work on bunting all the time. We got the shift on. We got free hits all over the field if we just lay down a bunt on the third-base side. We got to stop these other teams from shifting on our left-handed hitters, especially in a pitching duel like tonight. We didn’t play good defense. We made some costly mistakes\u2026”<\/p>\n

ON DECK

\nThe Gators and Crimson Tide meet again in game two on Saturday, scheduled for 3 p.m. ET on SEC Network+. Star righty Aidan King<\/a> (3-1, 0.00 ERA) will aim to even the series for the Orange & Blue against southpaw Zane Adams (3-1, 4.38 ERA) of Alabama.

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