TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Four Seminole errors, which led to two unearned runs, proved to be the difference on Saturday as No. 4 Florida State (55-10) ended its season with a 3-2 loss to No. 13 Oklahoma State (44-15) in the final game of the NCAA Tallahassee Super Regional.
A solo home run by Anna Shelnutt in the bottom of the seventh brought the tying run to the plate, but the next three FSU hitters were retired to end the game.
“Congratulations to Oklahoma State, and our game has grown so much that 16 teams are battling this weekend, and it is awesome and an honor to be a part of,” said FSU head coach Lonni Alameda. “Couldn’t be more proud of our program. Like I was telling our seniors, if I told them during their senior year of high school the career they would have here and how they have shaped this program, I think they would take it. It hurts right now, but to bring a National Championship trophy and all of the character they’ve brought to the team, it was awesome to see them grow and I am proud of them.”
Cali Harrod started the FSU first inning with an infield single and stole second base for her 43rd SB of the season, but was left stranded as the next three Seminoles were retired in order.
Dani Morgan drew a walk to lead off the bottom of the second inning, stole a base but was unable to advance any further.
FSU starting pitcher Meghan King faced the minimum through the first two innings with two strikeouts and a double play by Leslie Farris after a hit-by-pitch in the second. Oklahoma State opened the scoring with a leadoff home run by Chyenne Factor to begin the top of the third inning, while a trio of Seminole errors later in the inning allowed Oklahoma State to extend its lead to 2-0.
Kathryn Sandercock entered to pitch for the Noles in the top of the fourth and retired all three batters she faced in the inning. King (30-7) allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits with zero walks and two strikeouts in 3.0 innings of work.
Shelnutt started the FSU fifth inning with a single up the middle and was pinch-run for by Deja Bush. Makinzy Herzog followed with a one-out single to left and Farris cut the Oklahoma State lead to 2-1 with an RBI single to center.
Oklahoma State made a pitching change to replace Samantha Show with Logan Simunek, and her first pitch was wild, allowing the runners to move to second and third with one out. Simunek retired the next two batters with a strikeout and a line out to end the inning.
The Cowgirls added another unearned run in the top of the sixth inning Show was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. A stolen base and a FSU error allowed to the runner to get to third with nobody out and she scored on a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1 Oklahoma State.
Shelnutt led off the bottom of the seventh with her 11th home run of the season to cut the lead to 3-2, but the next three batters were retired to end the game.
Sandercock allowed just one hit and one unearned run over the final 4.0 innings of the game, striking out one while not issuing a walk.
The 2019 Seminoles set school records for home runs (105), batting average (.330) and RBI (423), while ranking second in school history in doubles (103) and runs (454), fourth in hits (552), and sixth in stolen bases. Florida State won its sixth consecutive ACC Championship in 2019, the 17th in program history, and advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals for the seventh consecutive season.
The 2019 Senior Class of Meghan King, Cali Harrod, Carsyn Gordon and Zoe Casasfinished their careers with a 223-40-1 record, which trailed only Oklahoma’s 229 wins for the most victories of any school since 2016.
Harrod and Gordon close out their careers as two of the best offensive hitters in FSU history as Harrod ranks in the FSU Top 10 in seven different offensive categories with 155 walks (second), 211 runs (third), 451 defensive assists (t-fourth), 34 home runs (sixth), 41 doubles (t-sixth), 139 RBI (eighth) and .521 slugging percentage (10th).
Gordon also is among the FSU Top 10 in six categories with 38 home runs (third), 174 RBI (third), 153 walks (third), 199 runs (sixth), .558 slugging percentage (sixth) and 923 putouts (ninth).
King wrapped up an outstanding pitching career that saw her finish in the FSU top 10 with 108 wins (second), 791.0 innings pitched (fifth) and a school-record 11 saves.
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