GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The silence in the Alabama dugout was deafening as the final out was recorded under the scorching Florida sun. For the second time in three days, the Crimson Tide softball team watched a late-inning lead dissolve into bitter defeat, sealing a gut-wrenching series loss to the Gators at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
Alabama, ranked No. 8 in the nation entering the weekend, had its sights set on redemption after Friday’s collapse, when Florida stormed back from a 5-2 deficit in the seventh to walk it off in dramatic fashion. Sunday brought a haunting déjà vu.
With ace pitcher Montana Fouts sidelined due to precautionary rest, head coach Patrick Murphy turned to sophomore sensation Riley Webb, who had delivered six shutout innings of masterful pitching. Webb was in complete command, mixing riseballs and off-speed pitches with veteran poise. Through six frames, Alabama led 3-0, buoyed by a two-run bomb from Kenleigh Cahalan in the third and a clutch RBI double from Bailey Dowling.
But the seventh inning has become Alabama’s nightmare realm.
Florida’s dugout erupted after leadoff hitter Skylar Wallace poked a single through the right side. A walk and a bunt single followed, loading the bases with no outs. The crowd of nearly 3,000, sensing the storm coming, stood to their feet. Murphy, hesitant to pull Webb despite warming up two relievers, visited the mound but left his pitcher in.
Then came the unraveling.
Gators slugger Jocelyn Erickson lined a two-run double down the left field line, slicing Alabama’s lead to 3-2. The pressure mounted. A sacrifice fly tied the game. A passed ball advanced the runner. And with two outs, freshman Kendra Falby laced a 2-1 pitch into right-center, scoring the go-ahead run.
Florida 4, Alabama 3.
When the Tide came to bat in the top of the seventh, their fight appeared drained. Three straight outs — a pop fly, a strikeout, and a grounder to short — ended it. The Gators swarmed the field in celebration, while Alabama players slumped in stunned silence.
“It’s tough. We’ve got to finish games,” Murphy said postgame, visibly frustrated. “We put ourselves in a position to win twice and let it go twice. That’s on us — coaches, players, all of us.”
The loss drops Alabama to 34-12 on the season and 11-7 in SEC play, while Florida improves to 36-10 and takes a crucial step up the standings. For Alabama, the series was a test of mental toughness — one they failed in heartbreakingly similar fashion.
As the bus pulled away from Gainesville that evening, the echoes of two seventh-inning collapses hung heavy. The Crimson Tide have the talent. But until they prove they can close, questions will linger. And with postseason looming, time to answer them is running out.
