Gators blank Crimson Tide 6-0 in SEC Tournament

As has been the case throughout the 2011 season, No. 2 Florida Gators baseball (43-15) was too much for the Alabama Crimson Tide (33-25) on Thursday, shutting them out 6-0 to advance in the winner’s bracket of the 2011 Southeastern Conference Tournament and reach the semifinal round of the event.

Florida sophomore right-handed pitcher Hudson Randall (9-3) was the star of the show, tossing eight shutout while only allowing four singles and striking out two batters on the afternoon. He is now 3-0 in his career against Alabama and has not allowed the Crimson Tide to score a single run in his 21.1 innings against them.

Equally impressive for the Gators’ offense on Thursday were senior center fielder Bryson Smith and junior left fielder Daniel Pigott. Smith (4-5, 3 RBI, R) plated three runners on the afternoon while Pigott (4-4, 3 R) crossed home on three occasions. No other Florida players connected on more than once.

The Gators scored the majority of their runs right out of the gate with pairs in the top of the first and second inning. Smith also recorded RBI in the top fourth and ninth to give Florida it’s final six-run advantage.

UF moves on to face the winner of South Carolina/Georgia, which is being played Friday. The contest will take place Saturday with coverage available via Sun Sports (in certain markets) and ESPN3.com.