LONGWOOD, Fl. — Closing out their time at THE Spring Games, the Seminoles earned a pair of run-rule victories on Sunday as No. 11 Florida State (17-6) defeated Penn (7-4) by a score of 8-0 in six innings, as well as a 16-0 win in five innings against Detroit Mercy (2-21).
“Really good week and weekend out of this team,” said FSU head coach Lonni Alameda. “Starting off with the trip to UCF and then coming here for a full weekend of games. We got a lot of at bats and situations for a lot of players and the team really came together as a unit, which will be big for us moving forward. Now it is time to get ready for the next half of this long road trip we have coming up.”
Game 1: No. 11 Florida State 8, Penn 0 (six innings)
Penn loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the first inning after a single and a pair of hit-by-pitches, but FSU starting pitcher Brianna Enter got out of the jam with a groundout to third base to end the inning.
Florida State got on the board in the bottom of the second inning, after loading the bases following a double by Devyn Flaherty, a single by Chloe Culp and a walk to Morgan Noah. A Penn error off the bat of Sydney Sherrill brought in the first run of the game to make it 1-0 FSU.
A solo home run by Elizabeth Mason, her third HR of the season, extended the Seminole lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the third.
The Noles added two more runs in the fourth inning, sparked by leadoff double from Noah. Kiersten Landers followed with a bunt single and an RBI from Sherrill brought in a run. Mason drove in her second RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly later in the inning.
Caylan Arnold entered to pitch the top of the sixth inning to relieve Enter. Enter (1-2) finished with 5.0 scoreless innings pitched, with four hits, zero walks and three strikeouts. Arnold allowed just one hit and recorded a strikeout in her one inning or relief.
The Seminoles closed out the game with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to secure the run-rule victory. Walks to Sherrill and Mason, along with Josie Muffley being hit by a pitch, loaded the bases with nobody out. Kaley Mudge brought in a run with a fielder’s choice and Flaherty followed with a RBI single to make it 6-0 FSU. Flaherty stole second and a pair of wild pitches by Penn scored Mudge and Flaherty to end the game.
Game 2: No. 11 Florida State 16, Detroit Mercy 0 (five innings)
Florida State plated three runs on just one hit in the top of the first inning to take an early 3-0 lead on Detroit Mercy. Sydney Sherrill opened the game with a walk and Josie Muffley was hit by a pitch. Elizabeth Mason reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second base to put Noles on second and third with one out. Cassidy Davis opened the scoring with an RBI single, and a sacrifice fly by Dani Morgan turned into a pair of runs after a Detroit Mercy throwing error.
The Noles added six runs in the top of the second as FSU brought 11 batters to the plate in the inning. Singles by Kaia LoPreste and Kiersten Landers, along with a walk to Sherrill loaded the bases, allowing Muffley to post an RBI as she was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game. Davis emptied the bases with a three-run double to center and Devyn Flaherty and Morgan Noah each recorded RBI singles as Florida State extended its lead to 9-0.
Landers opened the FSU third inning with a double to center and Sherrill followed with her third walk of the game and Muffley made it 10-0 Noles with an RBI single up the middle. Mason and Davis each were retired on groundouts, but drove in a RBI in each at bat as the Seminoles took a 12-0 lead to the bottom of the third.
Flaherty led off with a double to center to begin the FSU fourth inning and after a walk to Noah, LoPreste brought them both in with a double off the wall in left field to extend the Seminole lead to 14-0.
Chloe Culp and Morgan walked in the top of the fifth inning and both scored on a two-run double by Flaherty, her second double of the game, to make it 16-0.
Davis entered to pitch the final inning of the Noles and she didn’t allow a hit and posted a strikeout to close out the game.
Kathryn Sandercock (9-1) scattered two hits over 4.0 innings with one walk and two strikeouts in the victory. The sophomore finished with just 52 pitches in the game, including a five-pitch second inning.
The Seminoles will continue their 13-game road trip on Wednesday, March 11 to begin the annual Fresh From Florida Sunshine Showdown against No. 8 Florida in Gainesville, Fla. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. and the game will be streamed on SEC Network+. Links for the broadcast and live stats will be available on the softball schedule page on Seminoles.com.
