(4) Florida State (52-8) defeated the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats (26-30) 8-0 in five innings. The Tallahassee Regional will continue tomorrow when Florida State faces South Florida in a winner’s bracket game.
Game Recap
Florida State sent freshman Makinzy Herzog to the circle. Herzog started fast by retiring the first three Wildcat batters in order to end the inning. Alexis Bermudez started the game in the circle for BCU. Cali Harrod started FSU’s half of the inning with a walk. She promptly stole second. Carsyn Gordon advanced Harrod to third with a flyout. Sydney Sherrill scored Harrod on a sacrifice fly. Elizabeth Mason ended the inning with a foul out to left field.
Herzog continued to pitch well setting the Wildcats down in order for the second inning. After two groundouts, Cassidy Davis came up and hit a shot that bounced off the top of the right centerfield wall and bounded over to give FSU a 2-0 lead. Zoe Casas flied out to end the inning.
In the third inning Herzog continued to cruise setting down BCU 1-2-3. Despite a Harrod double to left field, FSU failed to score for the first time in the game.
Herzog continued her roll in the fourth by getting the first two Wildcats but Kaira Cabato broke up the perfect game with a single up the middle. Herzog bounced back to strike out Brianna Sanders for the third out. After Mason grounded out, Dani Morgan smoked a homer to left field to put the Noles up 3-0. Anna Shelnutt followed with a single. Deja Bush pinch ran for her and stole second. Cassidy Davis reached on a fielder’s choice. Zoe Casas singled and moved Davis to second. Herzog came up and helped her own cause with a double to left scoring both Davis and Casas. Harrod lined out to end the inning but Florida State was still up 5-0.
FSU made a number of changes in the field to start the fifth. Kathryn Sandercock came in to pitch. Leslie Farris came in at second and moved Sherrill over to third for Rock Benavides. After all those changes, Sandercock set BCU down in order to end the inning. Carsyn Gordon started the bottom of the fifth with a solo shot to dead centerfield to give the Noles a 6-0 lead. BCU coach Laura Watten decided to relieve Bermudez with Destiny Enriquez but as Enriquez was warming up the game was halted due to lightning being spotted in the area. The game would be delayed for a total of two hours and six minutes before resuming. When the game continued, Sherrill grounded out. Mason followed with a walk. After a Morgan single and a Shelnutt pop out, Davis doubled to right-centerfield scoring Mason and Morgan. The Seminoles were up 8-0 and the game ended by run rule.
Post Game
Makinzy Herzog pitched four full innings giving up one hit and no runs or walks. She struck out four and had 61 pitches on the day. Kathryn Sandercock pitched a perfect inning on 12 pitches.
Carsyn Gordon, Dani Morgan and Cassidy Davis all went yard. Davis was 2-3 with 3 RBI. Herzog accounted for two other RBI with a double.
Florida State is now on a 14 game winning streak.
FSU has now gone 25 straight innings without conceding a run. The Seminoles have won five of their last seven games by run rule.
With Cassidy Davis’ home run she becomes the seventh Seminole with double-digit dingers. That leads the nation.
Next Game
Florida State will face South Florida (41-17) tomorrow at noon in the winner’s bracket of the Tallahassee regional. The Bulls defeated South Carolina in the first game of the day 3-2.