PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (seminoles.com) – No. 23 Florida State softball put forth a good effort but fell to No. 1 Oklahoma on Saturday, 6-0, at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic at Big League Dreams Park in Palm Springs, Calif.
Facing one of the nation’s fastest-throwing pitchers in Keilani Ricketts (7-0), the Seminoles (9-4) mustered a season-low one base hit, which occurred in the first inning on a single up the middle from junior Courtney Senas.
Ricketts racked up 11 strikeouts in seven innings pitched. Redshirt senior Monica Perry (5-3) allowed three earned runs on six hits with three strikeouts in three innings pitched. Sophomore pitcher Lacey Waldrop came in relief and gave up two hits and a run with four strikeouts.
The loss drops the Seminoles to 1-2 at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.
Florida State had a runner in scoring position in the second inning, as Alex Kossoff walked and Kirstin Austin advanced to first base on a wild pitch with two outs. However, a subsequent strikeout ended the scoring threat for the Seminoles as they were held scoreless in their first two at-bats.
With one out in the second inning, Oklahoma’s Destinee Martinez lined a run-scoring double to left center. On the same play, Martinez was moving toward third base when an errant throw from left field allowed her to advance home and create a 2-0 lead for the Sooners. Perry responded by recording a strikeout and forcing a groundout to get out of the inning.
In the third, Jessica Shults hit a run-scoring double to left center to plate teammate Georgia Casey. Later in the frame, Brittany Williams posted an RBI single through the right side with two outs to extend the lead to 4-0.
Waldrop entered the game in the bottom of the fourth and struck out her first two batters before allowing a solo home run to Lauren Chamberlain on a 2-1 pitch. Waldrop came back to induce an inning-ending groundout to second base as the Seminoles trailed 5-0 through four innings. Oklahoma added a run in the fifth on an RBI groundout.
The Seminoles finish up the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Sunday facing Nebraska at noon ET/ 9 a.m. PT and 17th-ranked Stanford at 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. PT.
