No. 4 Seminoles fight with weather, fall short to Longwood, win against Purdue

After not playing on Friday, and multiple rain delays, the Florida State softball program got back on the diamond against the Longwood Lancers. In the circle, Ali DuBois made her debut in the Garnet and Gold against the Lancers lineup.

Game 1: Longwood 5-4 FSU

DuBois started off strong with a ground out and strikeout before Longwood started to get on base. DuBois was quickly faced with a bases loaded situation after two singled and a hit by pitch. Now facing Emily Vinson, two runs came in off Vinson reached on an error. FSU kept the runs at two after a groundout to first base.

Maggie Chapin took the circle with the 2-0 run advantage and gave up a leadoff walk to Mack Leonard. Two strikeouts put Katie Dack on base with two outs for FSU. Chapin left the two runners on base as she got Hallie Wacaser to line-out to end the inning.

DuBois day came to an early end after getting runners on the corners with no outs in the top of the 2nd. Entering in relief, Emma Wilson dealt with two in scoring position after a stolen base. Three straight singles plated three more runs for the Lancers, putting the Seminoles down 5-0. Wilson ended the inning with a fly out and a pop out to the Seminole infield.

Going in the top of the 3rd, Wilson exited after give up two singles with two outs. Freshman Makenna Reid entered as the third Seminole pitcher to take the circle. With two runners on, and in a tough spot, Reid struck out the final out of the inning.

Reid now battled with Chapin, both pitchers not allowing any more runs. Now in the bottom of the 5th, Leonard (who was replaced by Madi Frey on the base paths) and Kalei Harding led off with walks, forcing a pitching change from Chapin, who threw 4 hitless innings. Reggie Kanagawa entered for Longwood, and started off with the fielders choice to Michaela Edenfield, erasing Frey from the infield for the first out. Now facing Katie Dack with one out and two on base, Dack unloaded on the pitch that was sent deep into the Tallahassee night.

Dack’s longball registered as the first hit of the ball game, and pushed Kanagawa out of the game quickly. Er’ron Burton replaced her and ended the chance of anymore runs as she got the fly out and ground out. The ‘Noles left the 5th inning now down 5-3 to Longwood.

After about an hour rain delay, Kaley Mudge stepped into the box and started off with a double. A passed ball moved her up sixty feet Bethaney Keen pinch hit for Josie Muffley and made an impact with a sacrifice fly to score Mudge. With the lineup turned over, Leonard singled to get on base, but was left there after a flyout ended the inning.

Reid secured the first out quickly before giving up a one out single. The baserunner prompted the change to Kat Sandercock. Facing Vinson, a single stayed on the infield to put two on base for the Lancers. Sandercock left the two runners on base, giving the power to her bats for one last chance.

Down 5-4 in the final inning, Burton shut down any chance of the Seminoles walking it off. Sending all three batters back to the dugout, securing the top 5 win for her team.

Game 2: FSU 8-1 Purdue

Sandercock turned around for game two and got the start after closing the earlier matchup. A quick 1-2-3 inning from the FSU starter put Alex Echazarreta in the circle for the Purdue Boilermakers. A lead off walk to Kaley Mudge was able to come around on the one out double from Harding. With an early 1-0 advantage, Edenfield walked to join Harding on base, but both were left there once Dack grounded out.

Back in the circle for FSU, Sandercock worked a quick out, before letting up two singles. Another strikeout recorded brought way to Kiersen George, who singled again to bring in the tying run. A pop out ended the threat with two runners still on base.

In the bottom of the third, Devyn Flaherty led off with a double, and added a base on a passed ball. Following her teammate, Harding broke out a double of her own, easily scoring Flaherty and retaking the lead. The doubles kept pouring in as Leonard drove in a run from her own two bagger. Echazarreta struck out Edenfield, but was faced with the homerun hitter in Dack. The 0-1 pitch rose just enough for Dack to record her second long ball of the day, and knocking out Echazarreta. Julianna Verni stepped in for Purdue, with the bases clear, one out and a 4 run deficit. Two walks didn’t come to resurface she got the ground out.

Sandercock continued to dominate in the circle heading into the home half of the 4th inning. Two walks with no outs brought in Madi Elish to the pitching circle to face Leonard. Flaherty, who walked first, got her and Harding an extra sixty with a steal of third base, putting two runners in scoring position with no outs. Leonard put the ball into play on the infield, and the defense quickly tried to get the runner out at home. A double run down ensued for Flaherty and Harding, which resulted in the out of Harding and the run scoring for Flaherty, off of catchers obstruction. It also allowed Leonard to take second base. Elish got the strikeout of Dack, going back to the dugout down 6-1.

In the 6th, Autumn Belviy recorded her first ever hit as a Seminole, and added a stolen base on to her record. A ground out moved her to third base, but position didn’t matter much as Harding got everyone home on a 2 run homerun. Two ‘Noles were left on the base paths when Elish got her team two outs to end the threat.

Stepping in one last time in the contest, Sandercock started it off with a hit by pitch. Following it up quickly with a strikeout via the rise ball. A strikeout and groundout completed the complete game for the redshirt senior as FSU bounced back with a win against Purdue.

Gwyn’ Players of the Day

Freshman Makenna Reid continued to shine in her second ever outing in Tallahassee. Despite the loss, Reid came in and did her job in the circle, shutting down the Longwood lineup. In 3.2 innings, Reid had 2 H, 5 K, 0 R, 0 BB in 13 batters faced.

Katie Dack looks to be settling in as a Seminole. The Texas A&M transfer registered two homeruns on her opening weekend.

Kalei Harding showed why she’s one of the top 100 players in the country. The junior spent her night on the base paths with going 3-6 with 1 R, 2 BB, 4 RBI, 2 2B and 1 HR.

Up Next

FSU will look to bounce back against Longwood today, 2/12 at 12:30 EST. Game will be aired on ACCNX.