TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Seminoles.com) — The No. 6 Florida State softball team (34-7-1) walked off NC State (24-18) with a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The Seminoles have won the opening game of every ACC series this season.
NC State 1, No. 6 Florida State 2
Caylan Arnold started and pitched a gem for the Noles. She threw 6.2 innings for FSU in the first game of the series against the Wolfpack. Arnold allowed just three hits and one run with five strikeouts.
Danielle Watson entered the game with two outs in the seventh inning and forced a groundout to second base.
Neither team had much going until the fourth inning. NC State loaded the bases in the top of the fourth inning with one out after a double, a walk and a fielder’s choice. Arnold got out of the jam with a strikeout and a pop-out to first base.
At the bottom of the fourth inning, Florida State put the first run on the board after an Elizabeth Mason solo home run over the left-field wall. It was her team high tying seventh of the season.
NC State tied the game up at one in the sixth inning. Sam Russ led off the inning with a single to center field. She then stole second and advanced to third on an error. One batter later she scored on a sacrifice fly to center field.
With the game tied at one heading into the bottom of the seventh, Florida State walked off the Wolfpack. Kiersten Landers singled to left field with one out and then stole second. She advanced to third on a fly ball to center field. Freshman Kalei Harding stepped up to the plate with two outs and singled to the third baseman, beating out the throw for a walk-off win.
Scoring Summary
- B4 | Elizabeth Mason hit a solo home run to left field. (NC State 0, Florida State 1)
- T6 | Randi Farricker hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Sam Russ (NC State 1, Florida State 1)
- B7 | Kalei Harding singled to third base scoring Kiersten Landers from third (NC State 1, Florida State 0
From Head Coach Lonni Alameda:
“Winning the first game of the series is very important to set the town for the weekend. It was a really close ball game and I am really proud of Caylan Arnold, she pitched a gem for us. We got a big swing by Mason and then scratched and clawed from there. Tomorrow is going to be another dog fight and I am really proud of the fight that I saw today.”
Up Next
Florida State and NC State play a doubleheader tomorrow starting at 1 pm. Both games are on ACCNX.
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