WHAT HAPPENED: The Gators clinched the series over Alabama with an offensive outburst of 16 hits, including five home runs, in Saturday's 12-3 win over the Crimson Tide at McKethan Stadium.

Brady McConnell got Florida on the scoreboard first in the bottom half of the opening inning with a home run to left field. The Tide responded immediately with a solo homer of their own to even things up 1-1. 
 
Florida reclaimed the lead later in the third with a solo homer by Jacob Young. A two-run home run by Nelson Maldonado and a solo homer by Wil Dalton expanded the Gators lead to 5-1.
 
The Tide got one run back in the fourth on a sac fly by Alabama's Joe Breaux, closing the gap 5-2. Florida answered in the bottom half of the inning. A sac bunt by Brady Smith moved Austin Langworthy and Blake Reese into scoring position and a batter later Young brought both runners home with a single to right center to make it 7-2.
 
In the seventh, Maldonado reached on a double to center field, his team-high 10th this season. Two more doubles by Kendrick Calilao and Dalton increased the Gators lead to 9-3.
 
A two-run homer by McConnell, his second of the night, and a RBI double by Kris Armstrong capped the victory for the Gators.
 
Christian Scott went for career-high 4.2 innings out of the bullpen and earned the win. He allowed only one run (unearned) and one hit while striking out five.
 
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Brady McConnell—Sophomore shortstop Brady McConnell went 3-for-5 Saturday night, recording two home runs, three runs and three RBIs. McConnell leads the team with 28 runs, 42 hits and five home runs.
 
STANDOUT STAT: 3 in 1— Saturday night was the second time this year that Florida hit three home runs in one inning (Young, Maldonado and Dalton in the third). Earlier this month, Florida hit three out of the park in the sixth for a record-breaking 28-5 victory over Winthrop (Dalton, Young and Santino Miozzi).

FROM THE COACH: Head Coach Kevin O'Sullivan – On tonight's performance "Tonight, we did a nice job. We didn't miss fastballs and you know, we hit five home runs—three in that one inning … Obviously, Jacob [Young]'s home run was big … I think this was one of the best games we've played, I think this has been the most hits we've had in a SEC game this season."
 
On Christian Scott…
"He throws strikes. He has just enough fastball and he threw like four or five changeups in a row—you know—and did a nice job there. If he can get that pitch going—he threw a couple of cutters tonight that were promising, maybe four or five. If he can get that changeup going like he had it going in the fall he has a chance to be a guy like he was tonight and go through a lineup more than one time."

UP NEXT: Florida and Alabama will close the series on Sunday. First pitch is at 12 p.m. (time changed from 1 p.m.) and will air on the Gators Sports Network and SEC Network+.