Florida's BT Riopelle delivers walk-off home run to knock off Alabama in extra innings
Florida‘s BT Riopelle stepped up to the plate in the 11th inning of an SEC Tournament game against Alabama with a chance to cut the deficit. With runners on first and third and the Gators trailing 6-4, he did more than that.
Riopelle blasted a fastball to center field and over the fence for a walk-off home run to secure the victory. Crimson Tide pitcher Alton Davis II could only turn around and watch as the ball sailed high through the air and into the stands. You can view the moment below.
The home run was the 11th of the season for Riopelle, and was his only hit of the day as he finished 1-for-5. But he certainly made it count.
“I was just trying to get on base for my team,” Riopelle told SEC Network postgame. “It’s been such a hard-fought game, back-and-forth. I mean, look at all these fans, man. It’s unbelievable. A lot of Alabama fans, which didn’t play in our favor. But I was just trying to get on base for my team. I’m proud of these guys. We’ve been working all year for this and I’m just very blessed to wear this F.”
Florida entered the bottom of the inning with its back against the wall after giving up three runs in the top of the 11th to go down 6-3. All the Crimson Tide needed was to hold the Gators to two runs and get three outs to run away with an upset over No. 1 seed Florida.
However, Alabama failed to record a single out. The Crimson Tide allowed three straight singles and a run before BT Riopelle stepped up to the plate to drive in three more for Florida.
“That’s baseball,” Riopelle said. “This game is a game of failure. Things happen in the game that don’t always go your way. The best thing you can do is worry about the next pitch, the next play. Because ultimately, those are the things that win you games. This is just another one in the books, so I’m very proud of our team.”
Riopelle’s walk-off home run was the second of the day for the SEC Tournament, as Kendall Diggs also hit one in the 11th to give Arkansas a victory over Texas A&M. With the win, the Gators move on to face the winner between Auburn and Vanderbilt in the third round on Thursday.
They’ll certainly enter that game with their confidence high after Wednesday’s result.
“Our confidence as a team is unbelievable, Riopelle said. “I’m just trying to get on base. Ultimately, it wasn’t the best game for me. It doesn’t matter about the other pitches I swung today. Obviously, the last pitch mattered the most.”