No. 4 FSU softball falls to No. 13 Oklahoma State in the first game of the Super Regionals

(4) Florida State (54-9) lost to (13) Oklahoma State (43-14) 3-1 in nine innings tonight in Tallahassee.

Game Recap

Meghan King started in the circle for FSU. She got off to a strong start striking out the side in the first inning. Samantha Show got the start for the Cowgirls. She retired the first two Noles but allowed a single to Sydney Sherrill. However, she got out of the inning when Elizabeth Mason hit into a fielder’s choice.

King continued to cruise in the second with a ground out and two more strikeouts. Dani Morgan started off the second inning with a double off the wall. Anna Shelnutt singled to move Morgan to third. After Cassidy Davis struck out, Makinzy Herzog singled when Show had trouble fielding the ball. Morgan scored on the play. Zoe Casas grounded out but moved the runners over to second and third. Cali Harrod then grounded out to end the inning.

King set OSU down in order for the third straight inning. Carsyn Gordon walked to start the third. Sherrill grounded out. Mason reached on a throwing error by third baseman Sydney Pennington. She made it all the way to second and Gordon ended up on third. The Noles had runners on second and third with one out. Morgan came up and hit a liner that went straight to Show in the circle. She quickly turned and doubled off Mason at second to end the inning.

OSU finally got a hit in the fourth as Madi Sue Montgomery singled up the middle. However, King retired Michaela Richbourg on a foul out to end the inning. Shelnutt started the fourth with a single for FSU. Farris laid down a sacrifice bunt moving pinch runner Deja Bush over to second. A Herzog ground out moved Bush to third but she was stranded when Casas grounded out to second.

Kiley Naomi singled up the middle for OSU but King induced a flyout and two foul outs to end the inning. Show found her groove and got the Noles in order on three straight ground outs.

Chelsea Alexander started the sixth with a double that fell between Morgan and Herzog in left centerfield. After Rylee Bayless lined out to left field Show singled to move Alexander to third. Montgomery then delivered a fly ball to left. Alexander tagged and scored. It was aggressive running by Alexander as the fly ball was not that deep but Herzog’s throw was not in time. Richbourg popped to second to end the inning but the Cowgirls had tied the score at one. Show continued to be sharp retiring the Noles in order.

King bounced back in the seventh sandwiching a walk between two strikeouts and a pop out. Show again set the Noles down 1-2-3.

In the eighth, King retired the the Cowgirls in order. Show matched her with a strikeout and two ground outs.

Montgomery started the ninth with a double that bounced out of Morgan’s glove in centerfield. Richbourg took full advantage homering to right giving OSU a 3-1 lead. Lonni Alameda relieved King with Kathryn Sandercock. Sandercock retired Chyenne Factor but Naomi followed with a single. However, Sandercock got out of the inning when Pennington lined into a double play. FSU couldn’t scratch against Show as she set the Seminoles down in order for the fifth straight time to end the game.

Post Game

Meghan King was the hard luck loser going 8 full innings giving up three runs and six hits. She struck out 10 and only had one walk. Kathryn Sandercock pitched a scoreless inning surrendering one hit. King had 122 pitches while Sandercock had six.

Dani Morgan was 1-4 with a double and a run. Makinzy Herzog was 1-3 with the lone FSU RBI.

Show was stellar in the circle for Oklahoma State and to her credit she seemed to get stronger as the game went on. However, FSU really let her off the hook early in the game. In the second, third and fourth innings the Seminoles were retired leaving a runner on third base.

King pitched well enough to win but FSU simply couldn’t get the timely hitting needed to take advantage of her performance.

The loss snaps Florida State’s 16 game winning streak and sets up (hopefully) a pair of must win games to return to the Women’s College World Series.