-
Follow Us
On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — For the 15th time this year, the Florida Gators on Thursday successfully staved off defeat in comeback fashion, taking down Alabama, 7-6, despite trailing by five runs at one point.
Finding themselves in a 5-0 hole at the end of the third and seeing catcher Luke Heyman and second baseman Justin Nadeau go down with injury by the fourth, the Gators could have just tucked their tails between their legs and given up.
However, it was the total opposite.
The Gators plated five runs between the fourth and sixth innings before Brody Donay smacked a two-run home run in the seventh inning to give Florida its first and only lead of the game. The comeback marked the program's largest in two seasons.
“I don't know if I've, we've had some great wins here, but you know how gutsy of a win this was for our team because we easily could have folded the tent,” head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “I'm awfully proud of the team the way they battled, like I said, they could have easily just thrown in the towel, right? But they continued to persevere through it.”
THE TACO SHOP IS OPEN Y'ALL #GoGators // SECN+ pic.twitter.com/oGCRIKWa1r
— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) May 16, 2025
O’Sullivan attributed his team’s ability to fight through the adversity dealt to them at the start of conference play as a reason why they’ve been able to be as resilient as they are.
Florida began 1-11 through their first four SEC series this season, which was the worst start in conference play in program history. Since that point, they responded by going 16-4 (13-3 against the SEC) over their last 20 games with five-straight conference series wins, including wins over previous No. 1 Texas and then-ranked No. 5 Arkansas.
“I think, honestly, without giving it much thought yet, starting out one and 11 and going through that adversity, you know, probably is, is probably helping us right now,” O'Sullivan said.
While many around the country counted the Gators out during the rough start, it was O'Sullivan who was the main believer that Florida could change its fate, constantly saying in press conferences that he believed his team could turn things around.
“Sully’s been telling us from day one that we can turn this around, we can turn this around,” Donay said, "we just have to do it at some point, and we finally did. We are rolling now. So, we are going to continue to play well and compete as a team.”
With this aforementioned hot stretch for the program, they sit inside the top 25 in the rankings and are pushing for a regional host in the postseason, which was something that seemed completely out of the picture weeks ago.
No one is going to feel bad for O’Sullivan and the Gators, though, when it comes to the situation they are in. Every team deals with injuries, every team deals with the inconsistencies that come with the sport and O’Sullivan knows that.
“When you play in the SEC and the expectations, especially a place like Florida, is to win, you just can't make excuses,” he said.
Instead, Florida has thrived and will have a chance on Friday to win its sixth-straight conference series. First pitch between the Gators and Crimson Tide is at 6:30 p.m.
More From Gators Illustrated
More must-reads:
- Max Verstappen wins fourth consecutive Emilia Romagna GP
- Dodgers expect IL stint for two-time All-Star reliever
- The 'Active MLB players to hit .300 multiple times' quiz
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
