TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Earning a doubleheader split with Louisville, the Seminoles secured their 20th conference win for the third straight season on Saturday afternoon at JoAnne Graf Field. No. 5 Florida State (44-8, 20-2 ACC) fell to Louisville (34-13, 15-7 ACC) by a score of 4-0 in game one and posted a 9-0 victory in five innings in game two.
Florida State is the only school to record 20 ACC wins in a season and holds the all-time single-season conference wins mark with 24 from 2014. The Noles also registered 20 conference victories in 2015.
“I think we put a little more pressure on ourselves than we needed to in game one, but I think that’s a sign of a young team,” said FSU head coach Lonni Alameda. “Sometimes we need to be able to grow up, not only skill-wise, but emotionally and mentally. I think if anyone watched the two games, there was a completely different team that came out for game two. Those are lessons you have to learn as a program and I expect a different team tomorrow and we should be better pitch-by-pitch and every at bat.”
GAME ONE – Louisville 4, Florida State 0
The first game of the doubleheader started as a pitcher’s duel between FSU’s Jessica Burroughs and UofL’s Megan Hensley as only one baserunner for either team reached base through the first three innings
Louisville got out in front in the fourth inning as Maryssa Becker led off the inning with a solo home run to left center. The Cardinals added a walk and three more singles in the inning, including a two-RBI single from Morgan Meyer to take a 3-0 lead.
The Cardinals brought in another run in the seventh inning on singles from Sidney Melton, Maryssa Becker and an RBI single by Hensley.
Louisville’s Hensley shut down Florida State’s offense, allowing only two baserunners for the entire game on a single by Sydney Broderick in the second inning and a double by Jessica Warren in the fourth inning. Hensley (15-4) did not allow a walk in 7.0 shutout innings and recorded one strikeout in the win.
Burroughs (23-5) gave up four runs on nine hits with one walk and five strikeouts in the loss.
GAME TWO – Florida State 9, Louisville 0 (Five Innings)
Louisville got its first two hitters on base in game two on singles by Jordan McNary and Becker, but both would be left stranded as Warren made an outstanding play to end the inning. With runners on second and third, UofL’s Nicole Pufahl chopped a ball into the circle that tipped off FSU starting pitcher Meghan King’s glove. Warren reacted and was able to grab the ball and still fire to first to save a run and end the inning.
Those would be the only baserunners that Louisville would manage in game two until a two-out single in the fifth inning by Meyer.
King (20-3) earned the run-rule victory, facing just 18 batters in 5.0 shutout innings. The redshirt freshman gave up three hits and zero walks with four strikeouts. King was efficient in the circle, tossing only 53 pitches on Saturday night with 42 for strikes.
The Seminole offense got on the board in the first inning, highlighted by a single from Ellie Cooper and a double by Warren. Alex Powers drove in Cooper for the first run of the game on an RBI groundout to second base to make it 1-0 FSU.
Morgan Klaevemann led off the third inning with a bunt single and immediately stole second base. It was her 42nd stolen base of the season, moving her into a tie for ninth place on the FSU single-season record list, alongside Serita Brooks (2000) and Brandi Stuart (2000).
Cooper added a bunt single of her own and Klaevemann scored on a Louisville throwing error. Warren followed with her 16th home run of the season, placing her in third place in a single season in FSU history.
The Noles closed out the game with a five-run fourth inning, as they brought eight batters to the plate. Carsyn Gordon started things off with a single down the left field line and Victoria East followed with a pinch-hit single. A Louisville fielding error off the bat of Cali Harrod allowed a run to score and make it 5-0 FSU.
East dashed home on a wild pitch from Louisville’s starting pitcher Becker to extend the lead to 6-0. Klaevemann added another bunt single and Cooper hit a triple to center to give the Noles an 8-0 advantage.
Warren drove in her third run of the game with an RBI groundout to second base for the final score of 9-0. Warren how has 64 RBI on the season, which leads the team and sits in second place in FSU single-season history.
The Seminoles will wrap up the 2016 regular season on Sunday afternoon against Louisville at 12:00 p.m.Prior to the game, there will be an on-field ceremony to celebrate FSU’s three seniors – Alex Kossoff, Victoria East and Macey Cheatham.
***Courtesy FSU Athletics
