Alabama softball has not been swept at home in 11 years.
Haylie McCleney wasn’t going to let the Gators change that on Monday.
The Crimson Tide center fielder stepped into the batter’s box and cranked a two-run home run on the first pitch she saw from Delanie Gourley in the fifth inning.
Florida couldn’t come back after that.
The No. 3 Gators (30-3, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) dropped the final game of the series against No. 5 Alabama (22-7, 6-3 SEC) 5-1 Monday night in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Florida couldn’t complete the sweep but won the series 2-1.
UF’s starting pitcher Gourley struggled to find the zone early on. The sophomore walked three batters in the bottom of the first inning but escaped a bases loaded jam with a strikeout and a groundout.
Florida took a 1-0 lead after junior Kirsti Merritt doubled to lead off the top of the second inning and scored from third base on a wild pitch from Alabama starting pitcher Alexis Osorio.
Merritt and sophomore Justine McLean collected all four of UF’s hits and finished a combined 4-for-5 in the game.
Alabama batters started to figure out Gourley in the bottom of the second inning. Crimson Tide hitters Andrea Hawkins and Kallie Case singled before Gourley once again pitched out of trouble with a strikeout and a popout to end the inning.
Gourley allowed the leadoff hitter to reach base in each of the first three innings, but it didn’t bite her until the fifth inning.
The Crimson Tide grabbed a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning when Danielle Richard walked and McCleney homered to right field on the first pitch she saw from Gourley.
An inning later, Alabama tacked on three insurance runs. The first came on a wild pitch from Gourley to push the score to 3-1.
A few batters later, McCleney struck again – this time for a two-run triple that gave the Crimson Tide a 5-1 lead.
McCleney finished the game a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBIs.
Gourley allowed six hits and six walks through her 5.2 innings of work.
The Lakeside, California, native gave up five earned runs in her first loss of the season.
Five runs were more than enough support for Alabama’s Osorio, who struck out seven batters through seven innings of work in the win. She allowed just four hits and zero earned runs.
Florida already clinched the series after winning the first two games by scores of 1-0 and 4-1. The second game of the series was suspended Saturday due to rain and was resumed in the fifth inning Monday prior to the series finale.
The Gators scored all four of their runs in the opening frame on Monday after trailing 1-0 before the game was postponed.
UF continues road play this weekend with a three-game series against Mississippi State starting Friday.
Follow Patrick Pinak on Twitter @Pinakk12
Delanie Gourley pitches during Florida's 14-10 loss to LSU on March 14, 2015, at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
