No. 2 FSU Softball stunned in NCAA Regional; brilliant season ends early
The Florida State softball team, which seemed to have all the answers for virtually the entire season, finally came up empty in crucial situations Sunday.
And it happened at the worst possible time.
After cruising through the regular season with just five losses and then winning the ACC Tournament, FSU earned the No. 2 national seed and cruised through the first two games of the NCAA Tallahassee Regional with run-rule victories.
That miraculous run came crashing down in a pair of stunning losses to Mississippi State.
FSU got shut out in the first game, 5-0, then led early in the second before the Bulldogs pulled ahead for a 4-3 win.
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"My gosh, we had an incredible run," FSU coach Lonni Alameda said. "A lot of historic moments. ... I think the biggest thing is, when you put your head on your pillow at night, you know you did your all, and I definitely think that this team did that. They gave us a lot this year, and so really proud of them.”
It was a stunning run for Mississippi State (37-25), which lost its first game in the tournament to USF before winning four straight elimination games. The Bulldogs will move on to the Super Regional round, while FSU (54-7) sees its season end in a regional for the first time since 2012.
"It's more about today was Mississippi State's day; nothing went for us," Alameda said. "Tip your hat to them and wish them luck as they move forward.”
Mississippi State won with a pair of dominant pitching performances. First, Aspen Wesley held the Seminoles to just two hits in a complete-game, shutout victory. Then, Annie Willis pitched five shutout innings in the nightcap.
FSU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second game when senior Sydney Sherrill blasted a two-run homer in the first inning. Then the Seminoles led 3-1 into the fifth, when the Bulldogs staged a three-run rally off of starter Danielle Watson and reliever Kathryn Sandercock.
Sandercock, who started the first game, took the losses in both games to fall to 30-3 on the year. She was 30-1 entering Sunday's competition.
FSU out-hit Mississippi State in the nightcap 10-6 but stranded nine runners on base.
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