BLACKSBURG, Va. – A 3-0, early deficit not a problem for these Noles. The No. 9/10 Florida State softball team (44-12) recorded an 11-4 win over NC State (35-20) on May 8 to advance to its third-straight ACC Championship game. Nine different Seminoles scored a run in the ballgame as Florida State scored 10 of its eleven runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
“I loved how our team fought and competed today,” said FSU head coach Lonni Alameda. “NC State took an early lead, but we knew if we stayed in it and went pitch-by-pitch that we would have opportunities to be successful.
“It was a full team win today, as Jessica pitched an amazing game in relief and we had quality at bats up and down the lineup. Bailey and AP had big games for us and Victoria Daddis kept us in the game early on.Tomorrow we have the chance to accomplish another one of our season goals – winning the ACC tournament.”
NC State got on the board in the top of the first and took a 3-0 lead after a Tyler Ross solo home run, an RBI double by Lana van Dyken and an RBI single from Maggie Hawkins.
Jessica Burroughs came in to relieve FSU starter Lacey Waldrop after the first inning. They have been a one-two-punch all season. Waldrop gave up three runs on five hits without a walk or a strikeout.
The Seminoles plated a run in the second inning after Alex Powers led off with a walk. She moved to third base on groundouts by Ellie Cooper and Alex Kossoff and came in to score on an RBI infield single by Victoria Daddis.
Florida State scored three runs to take the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning following another leadoff walk to Powers. Bella D’Errico pinch-ran at first and moved up to third on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Cooper that was mishandled by the NC State first baseman. D’Errico scored on the next pitch from NC State starter Emily Weiman as her ball went in the dirt for a wild pitch.
Daddis stepped in later in the inning and hit her fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot to left field to give FSU a 4-3 lead.
NC State battled back to tie it at 4-4 in the top of the fifth on a pair of doubles by Molly Hutchison and Van Dyken.
Florida State regained the lead in the fifth inning on a two-run single by Powers,
A two run single form Alex Powers gave the Noles the lead in the fifth inning. It scored Maddie O’Brien and Bailey Schinella, who had reached earlier on a walk and a double, respectively. The walk to O’Brien was her 66th of the season, moving her into a tie for 19th place on the NCAA single-season walks list.
The Seminoles put the game out of reach in the sixth inning, scoring five runs to take an 11-4 advantage. Lauren Harris and Macey Cheatham opened the inning by reaching base on two separate NC State errors. A triple to left center by Morgan Klaevemann brought both of them in to score to make it 8-4 Florida State. The base hit extended Klaevemann’s FSU-record hitting streak to 22 games.
O’Brien gave FSU a 10-4 lead on the next pitch as she blasted a two-run home run to right field to chase Weiman from the game. Weiman (28-15) took the loss, allowing 10 runs, eight earned, on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work.
She was replaced in the circle by Courtney Mirabella and the sophomore pitcher gave up back-to-back base hits on a single to Bailey Schinella and a double to Powers. Cooper recorded a sacrifice fly to left field to score Schinella and make it 11-4.
Burroughs (15-5) closed out the game to earn the win for Florida State, posting six solid innings of relief. The sophomore gave up just one run on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
The Seminoles will now play in the ACC Championship game for the third straight year and for the sixth time in seven seasons under Coach Alameda. FSU will face either North Carolina or Pitt at 1 p.m. on May 9 at Tech Softball Park. The game will broadcast nationally on ESPN with Cara Capuano and Cheri Kempf on the call.
***FSU Athletics
