TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (SEMINOLES.COM) — The No. 6 Florida State softball team (13-3) won both of their games on the second day of the Unconquered Invitational with a 4-0 shutout win against Lamar University (3-12) followed up with a 7-2 victory over Florida Gulf Coast (7-9) Friday afternoon at JoAnne Graf Field.
Jahni Kerr wasted no time in her first at bat against Lamar hitting a double to left field with the bases loaded, allowing Katie Dack and Kalei Harding to score in the first inning. Michaela Edenfield put a ball in play to bring in Hallie Wacaser to give the Noles a commanding 3-0 lead after the first inning.
After a quiet second inning, the Seminoles scored again when Wacaser scored her second run of the game from a Devyn Flaherty single to center field.
FSU remained scoreless for the remainder of the game, but the Seminole defense stayed firm and didn’t allow a single run for the Cardinals.
Ali Dubois was in the circle for her fourth start of the season and was electric through 6.0 innings, recording a season-high eight strikeouts while allowing only two hits and not allowing a single run on 72 pitches. She was credited with her second win of the season.
Emma Wilson came in for the final inning and helped to secure the FSU win with a strikeout and zero hits for a final score of 4-0.
The stage was then set for the second matchup between FSU and FGCU of the Unconquered Invitational.
Madi Balk was the starting pitcher for the evening and pitched for the first 1.2 innings and had three strikeouts. Makenna Reid took over on the mound for 4.1 innings.
Reid had an impressive evening pitching and had five strikeouts, allowing only one hit on zero runs. She was credited with her fourth win of the season.
The Eagles took the lead off an error in the bottom of the second inning to score the first two runs of the game, but Kerr had an answer. She stepped up to the plate as the Noles’ first chance to retaliate and did so with a home run to right field, her third in the past five games.
Not long after, Amaya Ross singled to first. She then stole second and took advantage of an error by the catcher to get home and tie the game up at the bottom of the second.
In the bottom of the third, Kaley Mudge led off with a triple and Mack Leonard hit a sacrifice fly out to left field to bring her home and put the Noles in the lead.
Ross got her second run of the game in the bottom of the fourth when she hit her first home run of the season to extend the lead to 4-2
The Noles continued to scoring streak in the bottom of the fifth with a Wacaser single to center field, which allowed Autumn Belviy and Krystina Hartley to score. Wacaser also advanced to second on the throw to home.
A few pitches later, Josei Muffley singled to left field allowing Wacaser to advance to home before Ross was called out in a close call trying to get a run of her own.
Leonard took over on the mound for the final inning and cemented the Noles’ win with a strikeout and not allowing the Eagles to score a single run, for a final score of 7-2.
The Seminoles play their final two games of the Unconquered Invitational against Lamar University (3-12) at 2:30 p.m. and Troy (9-3) at 4:45 p.m. tomorrow.
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