TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — With a 13-1 victory over Samford (5-11) on Sunday, FSU head coach Lonni Alameda won her 500th game in her 11th season as the Seminole skipper (500-150-1, .769 winning percentage). She now holds a career record of 657-308-2, as she coached at UNLV from 2004-08.
No. 1 Florida State (17-0) now holds the third-longest winning streak to start a season and, combined with six victories to finish the 2018 season, have won 23 consecutive games, which ranks as the sixth-longest winning streak in school history.
The Seminoles opened with a seven-run first inning to cruise to the run-rule victory. It marked the seventh consecutive game that Florida State had scored a run in the first inning and the 13th time in the 17 games this season. Overall, 54 of Florida State’s 154 runs have come in the first inning of games, including 29 during the five games of the Unconquered Invitational.
The 13 runs scored on Sunday marks the first time in program history that the Seminoles have scored 10+ runs in five consecutive games.
“Definitely scoring first relaxes everybody, especially pitchers and defense,” said Alameda. “It is a main goal of ours to score first, whether it is in the first inning or not. The kids have been great with sticking with their plans and Travis (Wilson) and Craig (Snider) do a great job with the hitters. But there is a lot of buy-in right now and a lot of team at bats, and it is really good to see.”
The first seven Seminole batters of the game reached base and scored before the first out of the inning was recorded. Cali Harrod began with a single and a stolen base and, after a Carsyn Gordon walk, Sydney Sherrill launched her sixth home run of the season off the scoreboard in right center. Elizabeth Mason walked and an infield single by Anna Shelnuttallowed Cassidy Davis to bring in another run with a double to left center. Dani Morganmade it 7-0 with a three-run home run to left center, her fourth HR of the season.
Samford scored an unearned run in the top of the second after a leadoff walk and a three-base error during a rundown between first and second base.
Florida State plated three runs in the bottom of the second on doubles by Sherrill, Mason and Savannah Parker, as well as a single by Davis.
Harrod began the Seminole third inning with a solo home run to center. Shelnutt brought in a run on a sacrifice fly after a single from Gordon and another double by Mason.
Parker hit her second extra-base hit of the game with a solo home run to right field to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning. Madison Kennedy hit her first career hit later in the inning, a double to right center.
Meghan King (8-0) allowed just one hit and one unearned run over 3.0 innings with one walk and one strikeout. Herzog closed out the game with 2.0 hitless innings with a walk and a strikeout.
The Seminoles will head on the road for the next 10 games, beginning with the UCF Invitational on March 2-4. Florida State will take on Toledo, Louisiana Tech, Dartmouth and host school UCF over three days in Orlando. Links for live stats and tickets will be available on the softball schedule page of Seminoles.com.
Throughout 2018-19, the Seminoles will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of women’s intercollegiate athletics at Florida State and there are many events and reunions planned for all women’s sports. Head to www.seminoles.com/50th/ for more information that will be updated throughout the year.
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