Kathryn Sandercock pitched a gutsy complete game, Anna Shelnutt homered and the Florida State softball team held off pesky Oklahoma State, 4-2, in the early morning hours Sunday at Oklahoma City.
With the win, the Seminoles advance to the semifinals of the Women's College World Series, while Oklahoma State sees its season come to an end.
FSU will face Alabama on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET -- almost exactly 12 hours after the Seminoles finished off OSU in a game that was delayed several hours by rain earlier in the day. It also was the Seminoles' second contest of the day after defeating Arizona in an earlier elimination game.
Sandercock, who also picked up the win as a reliever in the earlier game, allowed two runs (none earned) while scattering five hits and recording eight strikeouts.
Shelnutt's home run sparked a three-run third inning, and the Seminoles added an insurance run in the top of the seventh, thanks in large part to Kaley Mudge. The redshirt freshman reached with one out on a fielding error, then advanced to second on a fly out to left field. She scored the fourth run of the game for FSU after a wild pitch allowed her to advance to third and then score on a bad throw by the catcher.
The Seminoles have now won their last six Women’s College World Series elimination games, dating back to when they won the national championship in 2018. The six straight elimination wins ties the WCWS record set by UCLA, which won four straight in 2003 and its next two elimination games in 2006.
If FSU defeats Alabama, the ‘Noles will have to play the Crimson Tide again at 9:30 p.m. ET with a shot at the championship series on the line.
EARLIER STORY
On the brink of elimination at the Women's College World Series, the Florida State softball team rallied for a 4-3 victory over Arizona on Saturday afternoon in Oklahoma City.
The Seminoles trailed 2-0 through five innings but grabbed a 3-2 advantage on a three-run homer by senior Dani Morgan in the bottom of the sixth.
Then after Arizona tied the score in the top of the seventh, FSU started its game-winning rally with a leadoff single by redshirt freshman Kaley Mudge.
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Two batters later, Elizabeth Mason hit a ground ball that could have resulted in the second out. But Arizona's second baseman tried to hurry a throw to cut down Mudge at second, and the throw was off the mark.
Mudge went to third, Mason was safe at first, and senior Cassidy Davis lifted a fly ball to deep left field to score Mudge with the sacrifice fly.
FSU improves to 45-11-1 on the season, while Arizona's year ends at 41-15.
The Seminoles now will have a quick turnaround to face Oklahoma State in another elimination game tonight at 9:30 p.m. ET.
OSU (48-11) won its first game in the WCWS on Thursday against Georgia, 3-2, before falling to James Madison on Friday, 2-1.
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