The Florida State softball team was back at JoAnne Graf Field for an ACC series opening weekend against Pittsburgh. Entering ACC play, the Seminoles had a 22-5 record and a No. 10 national ranking.

FSU showed no mercy against the Panthers as they swept the series to start conference play 3-0. The Seminoles picked up a pair of wins on Saturday, 13-0 and 3-1.

“It’s nice to be back at the Plex,” FSU coach Lonni Alameda said. "To hear the home run chants, the call outs from the dugout, the K-times, those things are very special and unique to our facility and it’s just really nice to hear those voices.”

It was also alumni weekend for the softball team, which hosted a slew of former players that helped build the foundation for what the softball program has become.

“It’s kind of emotional sometimes,” Alameda said. “You see how many come back to support and share their stories with our current team, it's really special. Just the highlight video in between the games and just how far this program has come, it’s been really neat to be a part of.”

The Seminoles and the Panthers’ were scheduled to play Friday and play through Sunday. Due to incoming inclement weather on Sunday in Tallahassee, Saturday’s game was part of a doubleheader.

Friday night, the Seminoles started senior Auburn transfer Annabelle Widra, who also played infield on Saturday. Her versatility is one of the reasons Florida State brought her in and, on Friday night, she pitched four innings and struck out four. Widra did give up three runs during the outing, but the offense behind her scored more than enough to help her out.

“I think Annabelle has been great, she’s someone that we can rely on in the circle for sure,” Alameda said. “Having the versatility to get a swing from her, play some defense, hold her back later if we need her. She was ready to go there if we needed her for a late inning. She’s just a nice tool to have and brings a lot of joy to the dug out for us.”

Heading into the bottom of 2nd inning on Friday night, the score was notched at 0-0. The Seminoles' bats began to heat up when they drove in five runs to give themselves a comfortable lead. The inning was highlighted by back-to-back doubles by senior outfielders Katie Dack and Jahni Kerr. Wild pitches, stolen bases and hit by pitches added to the lead in the 2nd inning, which proved to be more than enough to secure the victory. FSU would add three more runs to put the game out of reach and take an 8-3 win.

Saturday at the Plex was a gorgeous day despite the incoming weather. The Seminoles' bats were scorching hot during the first game of the doubleheader and ended up defeating the Panthers 13-0 in a run-ruled 5th inning.

Senior left-handed pitcher Julia Apsel got the start and pitched four solid innings with no runs given up. Junior left-handed pitcher Makenna Reid finished the game, which is an encouraging sign for the pitching staff.

“The ultimate thing is how healthy can she stay?” Alameda said. “I’m going to keep giving her outings and chances to grow, but the health is the most important thing.”

After the run-ruled first game of the doubleheader, the Seminoles were ready to go for the sweep. But the Panthers had other plans.

The score was tied 1-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning as Florida State fans were growing uneasy. Two solo home runs by sophomore outfielder Kennedy Harp and senior outfielder Hallie Wacaser gave the Seminoles a little bit of insurance heading into the top of the 7th with a 3-1 lead. Freshman right-handed pitcher Jazzy Francik shut the door on the Panthers in the final inning to complete the sweep.

After coming back from an eight-game road trip and playing its first conference series at home, FSU now embarks on a four-game road trip starting with No. 23 Alabama on Wednesday. The Seminoles follow the road midweek matchup with a road weekend series against No. 17 Duke starting on Friday.

The schedule doesn’t get easier for the Seminoles. But at this point in the season, Florida State is right where they need to be at No. 10.

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