ATLANTA – No better way to end the ACC regular season than with a sweep. The No. 10/11 Florida State softball team (40-12, 20-3 ACC) wrapped up its ACC regular season slate with an 8-1 sweep of Georgia Tech (16-34, 6-18 ACC) on Sunday at Mewborn Field. Noles freshman Jessica Warren couldn't be stopped. She went 3-for-3 from the plate with two home runs as FSU combined for 10 hits total, including four extra base hits.
The victory gave Florida State its 40th win of the 2015 season, marking the 28th time in program history that the Seminoles have won at least 40 games in season.
The Seminoles have not lost a conference series since 2012, posting a 22-0-3 record with 17 sweeps in their last 25 ACC series.
“It was exciting to see this team make adjustments from yesterday and close out the series with a win,” said FSU head coach Lonni Alameda. “We were more aggressive at the plate, got our swings off on good pitches and drove in runs in key situations. Jessica and Lacey pitched well and kept Georgia Tech off balance. Great job out the entire team to execute the game plan today.”
Warren opened the Florida State scoring in the top of the first with a solo home run to left field.
The Seminoles pushed the lead to 2-0 in the third inning as Morgan Klaevemann increased her hitting streak to 18 games on a one-out bunt single to third base. Klaevemann moved up to third on a wild pitch and a fly out to right field. Warren then posted her second RBI of the game with a single up the middle.
FSU starter Jessica Burroughs retired seven of the first eight batters of the game, but Georgia Tech cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the third on a solo home run by Maddie Lionberger.
Burroughs (14-5) was relieved by Lacey Waldrop to open the fifth inning and finished with 4.0 innings pitched as she gave up one run on two hits with two walks and three strikeouts in the win.
Georgia Tech pitcher Kylie Kleinschmidt settled in and retired eight of 10 batters from the second to the sixth inning before allowing another solo home run to Warren. It was Warren’s second home run of the game and 15th of the season, moving her into a tie with Courtney Senas (2014) for second place on the FSU single-season list.
The Noles continued to bat in the sixth as Alex Powers walked and was pinch-run for by Bella D’Errico. Ellie Cooper followed with a base hit to left and both runners moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt from Alex Kossoff.
Georgia Tech made a pitching change and brought in Christina Biggerstaff to replace Kleinschmidt. Biggerstaff allowed an RBI single to Bailey Schinella as she knocked an hit to left to give FSU a 4-1 lead, but the inning ended as Cooper was thrown out at the plate on the play.
Florida State broke it open in the seventh inning as Korina Rosario led off with a walk. Macey Cheatham followed with a bunt single, but the throw from GT’s Biggerstaff went wide of first base to allow Rosario to score and make it 5-1 Noles.
Klaevemann followed with an RBI single to right to score Cheatham, extending the FSU lead to 6-1. After an intentional walk to Warren, Cooper ripped a two-out, two-run double to left to score Klaevemann and Warren and push the FSU advantage to 8-1.
Waldrop closed out the game to secure the win and earn her second save of the season. She allowed only one baserunner on a single in the fifth inning and posted two strikeouts without giving up a walk over 3.0 shutout innings.
Kleinschmidt (6-22) gave up four runs on six hits over 5.1 innings. She struck out six and gave up two walks in the loss. Biggerstaff pitched 1.1 innings, giving up four runs on four hits with three walks and a strikeout. GT’s Emily Anderson faced one batter in the seventh and ended the inning with a fly out.
The Seminoles will stay in the Atlanta area and play a single game at Georgia State (32-18) on April 27 at 3 p.m. The game against the Panthers was originally scheduled as a doubleheader in Tallahassee on April 15, but it was rained out.
***FSU Athletics
