Burroughs' historic night sets the tone in FSU's 3-0 win vs. Princeton
Jessica Burroughs knew her latest victory was significant. There was just more meaning to it than she initially believed.
Burroughs threw a one-hitter over six innings in the No. 4 Florida State softball team's 3-0 win over Princeton in the Tallahassee Regional on Friday at JoAnne Graf Field. FSU (52-6-1) will now get a noon Saturday showdown against No. 25 Georgia.
The victory also gave Burroughs, a redshirt senior, the 91st win of her career. It's the third-most wins by a Seminoles pitcher in program history.
"To be honest with you, I am the worst with stats and had no idea [of her place in FSU history] until you said it," Burroughs said. "I think it's just a cool thing and it's not myself that just gets that accolade. It's the whole team.
"The past four teams I've been on, they've played defense behind me. They've put up runs. They've just allowed me to do my job and to grow as a person."
Here's how Burroughs, who improves to 26-4 for the season, climbed higher up the record books.
Princeton (25-19) led off the game with two runners reaching base via an error and a single. Burroughs quickly recorded a fly out in foul territory and a ground out to second. She lost her handle when she beaned Tigers first baseman Kaylee Grant but finished the frame by striking out catcher Keeley Walsh.
Burroughs said postseason nerves were the reason why she had a bit of a shaky start.
"In my brain, I was like, 'I'm going to get out of this. I've got a righty up. Just spin your pitch,' and somehow we got out of it. Thank goodness," Burroughs said. "It was big to get out of that and just shut it down from the beginning."
Burroughs did not give up a hit for the rest of the game.
She struck out two in the second and only threw eight pitches in the third. Burroughs grabbed four more strikeouts between the fourth and fifth innings. She picked up one more strikeout in the sixth, which paved the way for Meghan King to close out a perfect seventh.
Burroughs finished with eight strikeouts and only threw 71 pitches, which makes her available to pitch against the Bulldogs, if needed.
"She's so tough because she makes counter-adjustments right as we're making the first adjustment," Princeton coach Lisa Van Ackeren said of Burroughs. "She's anticipating your adjustment and making counter-adjustments. She did a phenomenal job of that and it was difficult to keep up with her."
FSU took a 1-0 lead in the second and tacked on two more runs between the fifth and sixth for a 3-0 advantage.
Freshman catcher Anna Shelnutt, who gave the Seminoles a 1-0 lead via a double in the second, finished 2 of 3 while also playing a part in Burroughs' big night.
"There's a lot of talk going on between her when she's doing bad or not so good," Shelnutt said of working with Burroughs. "But when she's doing really well, we're just talking about what she wants to throw.
"Yeah, she makes my job very easy on her good days. It's very easy when she's sitting back and throwing it."
A two-time Atlantic Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year, Burroughs will likely finish her career as an all-time great.
She'll finish third in wins behind Lacey Waldrop (109) and Leslie Malerich (107). Burroughs is four innings away from being inside the Top 10 of innings pitched, a mark she will meet throughout FSU's postseason run.
Burroughs' 833 strikeouts is one away from being sixth on the all-time list. Also, if she's used in a save situation, her next save will be her ninth. That would put her in a tie for first with Jessica Nori.
"They've pulled the best out of me so I can perform how I've wanted to perform," Burroughs said of her past and present teammates. "Just growing that confidence and being able to trust in everything that I am learning and put it into play in the games.
"I think that's what you are seeing, and it's a big honor for Florida State softball."
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