May 9, 2013
Kirsti Merritt knocked a three-run home run in the home half of the sixth to break open a 4-4 tie and lift top-seeded Florida to an 8-4 triumph over No. 8 seed Alabama in the opening game of the quarterfinal round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament on Thursday at John Cropp Stadium.
The Gators will advance to the semifinals and face the winner of LSU and Georgia at 3 p.m. ET on Friday. The game will air live on ESPNU.
Florida opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the first. The designated home team plated three more scores in the fourth to grab a comfortable 4-0 lead. Alabama fired back with a trio of RBI hits in the top of the fifth to knot the score at four apiece setting the stage for Merritt.
The Gators wasted little time in reclaiming their advantage with Merritt’s blast in the sixth. Florida added another insurance run in the stanza for the final 8-4 margin.
Visit UKathletics.com/secsoftball for the most up-to-date information on the 2013 SEC Softball Tournament hosted at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Ky.
