RALEIGH, N.C. – In a back-and-forth game with three lead changes, No. 8/11 Florida State (33-9, 13-2 ACC) lost only its second conference game of the season on April 4. The NC State Wolfpack (212-15, 7-5 ACC) defeated the Seminoles, 9-4, at Dail Softball Stadium.
“Softball is a game of moments,” said head coach Lonni Alameda. “How you perform when those opportunities present themselves will determine how successful you are. We had chances at the plate with runners in scoring position, but couldn’t get them in. We had chances to get off the field on defense and allowed the inning to continue.
“But credit NC State today. They fought for all seven innings and earned the win this afternoon. They are a quality program that competes each and every game.”
The Wolfpack took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Molly Hutchison reached base on a walk and moved up to second on a passed ball. Tyler Ross beat out an infield single to keep the inning alive with two outs and send Molly Hutchison home.
FSU responded in the top of the second inning with Jessica Warren blasting a three-run home run to left field to score Ellie Cooper and Macey Cheatham who had walked earlier in the inning.
It was her team-leading 11th home run of the season, moving her into a tie for eighth place in FSU single-season history. Warren finished the game with three hits to tie a career high.
NC State tied the game in the bottom of the third on a two-run home run by Renada Davis – her eighth of the season.
Alex Powers gave the Seminoles the lead back on an RBI double down the left field line in the fifth inning to score Bella D’Errico and make it 4-3 Florida State. D’Errico came on to pinch-run for Maddie O’Brien who had hit a single to right field earlier in the inning.
FSU loaded the bases in the fifth without recording an out, but NC State starter Emily Weiman got out of the jam by inducing a line out, ground out and a strikeout to end the inning.
The Wolfpack scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth to end the day for FSU starter Lacey Waldrop. After posting a leadoff strikeout, Waldrop issued three straight walks as Jessica Burroughs came on in relief. Burroughs forced a fly out to the first batter, but followed with a bases-loaded walk to Ross and a grand slam to Meredith Burroughs, giving the Wolfpack an 8-4 lead after five innings.
Waldrop (21-4) allowed only three hits, but gave up six runs, five earned, along with four walks and four strikeouts over 4.1 innings of work in the loss. Burroughs pitched the final 1.2 innings of the game, surrendering three runs on two hits with two walks.
NC State added another run in the bottom of the sixth on a sacrifice fly to left field by Davis. For the second straight day, Alex Kossoff made a home-run-stealing catch in left, but it allowed Hannah Yeager to score from third on the play and make it 9-4 NC State.
Weiman wrapped up the game for the Wolfpack in the circle, tossing a 7.0-inning victory to move to 17-10 on the season. She scattered nine hits and six walks, allowing just four runs as her defense turned two double plays in the game and the Seminoles left nine runners on base.
Florida State returns to Tallahassee for the first game of the home-and-home series with No. 3 Florida on Wednesday, April 8. The “Share A Little Sunshine Showdown” will begin at 6:00 p.m. at JoAnne Graf Field. The Noles will also play the Gators in Gainesville on April 22.
***FSU Athletics
