TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (seminoles.com) – Behind two quality pitching performances from Lacey Waldrop and Monica Perry, the Florida State softball team shut down Boston College on Saturday afternoon by recording two shutouts, winning 10-0 and 4-0, on ‘Paint it Pink’ day at JoAnne Graf Field.
Boston College produced just six base hits on the day, all being singles. Waldrop (15-6) combined with a band of hot hitters in game one, as she threw the minimum of three innings and struck out three while scattering three hits as Florida State won its 14th mercy-rule game of the season in five innings.
In game two, Perry (14-7) threw a complete-game seven innings and surrendered just two base hits while striking out seven in the 4-0 victory. Redshirt junior Jessica Nori earned time in relief in game one and struck out three over two innings.
“Wins in conference play are always important. Taking two in a doubleheader was huge for us today,” head coach Lonni Alameda said. “Our pitching was superb today and all three players were real comfortable in the circle. Every game in the ACC is important so we have to come out tomorrow ready for a three-game sweep.”
Florida State has now won its first four ACC series of the season, duplicating its feat from a season ago. Freshman Victoria East was vital again at the top of the order as she combined for a 4-for-6 day with one double and three RBIs.
The Noles finished 16-for-43 (.372) in both games, raising their team batting average to .307 for the season. Florida State is aiming to finish above .300 for only the fourth time in school history, with the other years occurring in 1995 (.316), 1993 (.309) and 1992 (.315).
Junior Courtney Senas recorded a home run in her first at-bat of the day in game one, her 13th of the season. The Wahiawa, Hawaii native is now solely in second place on the school’s single-season home runs list. She needs just one more to tie former player Yuruby Alicart’s school record of 14. Senas also has 49 RBIs this season, which is tied for fifth and just seven shy of tying Alicart’s record of 56 in 2005.
Sophomore Bailey Schinella stayed potent at the plate, finishing 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Five Seminoles (30-13, 9-2), including Kirstin Austin, Kelly Hensley and Senas, finished with at least two base hits on Saturday.
A key to Florida State’s success on Saturday was its early-game scoring. In both games, the Seminoles crossed the plate in the first inning to extend its record to 27-2 this season when they score first.
In game one, four runs were scored in the bottom of the second inning following FSU’s 2-0 lead, as East recorded a two-run single down the right field line with one out. Hensley then cleared the bases with a two-run double to right center to give Florida State a 6-0 lead.
Austin’s slicing triple to left center plated Morgan Bullock to add to the lead in the third. Schinella followed with a run-scoring double, and an RBI single by East created a 9-0 lead. Senas capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly to right field.
In game two, Maddie O’Brien recorded an RBI groundout to the right side to plate Senas and give the Noles an early 1-0 advantage. Senas recorded her fourth triple of the season in her second at-bat of the game.
O’Brien contributed to two more runs scored when she lined a two-run single down the right field line with two outs in the bottom of the third inning. Junior Celeste Gomez finished the scoring in the sixth when she lined a sacrifice fly to centerfield, scoring Bullock to make it 4-0 in game two.
Florida State goes for the sweep on Sunday afternoon at noon against the Eagles.
