Florida brushes off 12-seed Vanderbilt, will face Alabama Thursday
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Florida baseball used a balanced effort to brush off 12-seed Vanderbilt 8-3 on Wednesday. With that, the Gators have advanced to the quarterfinals round of the SEC Tournament and will face off against 2-seed Alabama.
Slow and steady won the race for the Gators on Wednesday. Florida jumped to a 3-0 lead at the end of the 2nd inning and didn’t blink when Vanderbilt finally put some runs on the board in the 5th, adding 2 more runs the following frame off the bat of Blake Cyr.
Even more impressive for this Florida squad is how they were able to overcome the Commodores even despite star pitcher Aidan King not posting his best outing. The SEC Pitcher of the Year threw 4.2 innings and allowed 3 earned runs — all in the top of the 5th — with 5 hits and 3 walks alongside 5 strikeouts. It wasn’t a disaster by any means, but Florida’s bullpen responded well by allowing just 1 hit and zero runs across the final 4.1 innings pitched.
Now, Vanderbilt is hoping for a minor miracle. The Commodores’ 19-season postseason streak is in jeopardy, and all Vanderbilt can do is wait and hope for the best come Selection Monday.
First pitch for Florida vs. Alabama is set for 7 p.m. CT Thursday on SEC Network.
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
