FSU Softball runs nation-leading win streak to 22 games; Baseball falls at Virginia

Florida State Sports Information Release:

The No. 10 Florida State softball team (33-4, 10-0) extended its NCAA-leading winning streak to 22 games, defeating Notre Dame (16-20, 5-8) 7-2 in the Thursday night series opener. The Noles have won 17 consecutive games against Notre Dame and improved to 31-7 all-time against the Fighting Irish. 

Leading off for the Seminoles in the first inning, Isa Torres tripled on a hard-hit ball to left field and scored on a throwing error by Notre Dame. The Noles continued their offensive movement as Jaysoni Beachum walked, Ashtyn Danley singled and Bella Ruggiero reached on an error to load the bases with no outs for Anna Hinde. Hinde walked and Beachum plated the Noles’ second run. Danley later scored on a sacrifice fly by Kennedy Harp.

The Fighting Irish led off the second inning with a solo home run to get on the board, but Jazzy Francik struck out two batters to get the Seminole defense off the field with a 3-1 lead. Torres got her second hit of the evening in response, and both she and Danley recorded a stolen base before the inning ended.

Shelby McKenzie walked to lead off the third, and Makenna Sturgis reached second on a groundout by Harp and then stole third. Marin Heller walked and stole second, and both she and Sturgis plated runs on a double by Torres to expand the lead to 5-1.

After a scoreless fourth inning, Hayley Griggs hit a two-run homer in the fifth, driving home Heller who walked to open the inning. Torres then singled for her fourth hit of the night.

Notre Dame homered again in the sixth to bring the score to 7-2. The Noles applied offensive pressure in the bottom of the inning with hits by Sturgis and Harp, but did not expand their lead. The Noles defense secured the win with a double play in the seventh inning.

Francik pitched 5.0 innings starting for the Seminoles, earning the win while striking out seven batters and allowing four hits with one earned run. With the win, Francik’s record improved to 13-1 on the season. Makenna Reid entered the circle in relief, recording one strikeout and allowing one earned run. Danley relieved Reid in the sixth inning and pitched 1.2 innings to close out the game.

Game two of the series will be at 6 p.m. tomorrow on ACC 

Of Note

*Isa Torres went 4-for-4 and was a home run away from the cycle. Torres is hitting a NCAA-leading .630 this season.

*In her last 15 games, Torres is 41-for-56 (.732). Torres also picked up her 20th multi-hit game of the season. 

*Jaysoni Beachum walked twice and has now reached base safely in 25 consecutive games.  

*FSU has won 22 consecutive games, which is the longest active streak in the NCAA. The winning streak is tied for the sixth-longest streak in program history and the program’s longest streak since 2018. 

*FSU has won the last 17 meetings against Notre Dame and improved to 31-7 all-time against the Irish

*FSU is 28-3 in its last 31 ACC games.

FSU Baseball falls at Virginia, 4-3

The No. 7 Florida State baseball team opened a top-10 series at No. 10 Virginia with a 4-3 loss on Friday evening at Davenport Field at Disharoon Park in Charlottesville, Va.

The Seminoles (21-7, 7-3 ACC) suffered just their second road loss of the season and first ACC defeat away from home. The Cavaliers (24-7, 8-5 ACC) benefited from a four-run fourth inning and withstood a three-run answer by FSU in the top of the fifth.

Florida State scored its three runs on four hits with no errors and four runners left on base. UVA’s four runs came on nine hits with two errors and eight runners stranded.

Sophomore catcher Hunter Carns was one of four players with a hit, a two-run single in the fifth inning. Sophomore second baseman Noah Sheffield also had a hit with an RBI and a run scored.

Junior left-handed starter Wes Mendes suffered his second loss of the season and falls to 6-2. In five innings, he allowed four runs on seven hits. He struck out seven and walked two while throwing 99 pitches. Junior righty Chris Knier pitched the final three innings in relief of Mendes and did not allow a run. He held UVA to two hits with two strikeouts and a walk.

FSU put two on in the first inning, on a hit batter and an error, but the visitors could not take the early lead. Mendes followed with a perfect bottom of the first and added a pair of strikeouts in a scoreless second. The southpaw fanned two more in the third.

A two-out double was Florida State’s first hit of the day in the fourth. Virginia took a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Back-to-back base hits scored the first two runs before a two-run home run with two outs.

The Seminoles quickly answered with three runs in the fifth to cut the deficit to one, at 4-3. The rally began with two outs when senior shortstop Carter McCulley singled, and an error put two on. Sheffield then doubled in McCulley, and Carns followed with a two-RBI single to plate junior center fielder Brayden Dowd and Sheffield.

Mendes followed with a scoreless bottom of the fifth, again striking out two and leaving a runner on third. Knier began the sixth on the mound and left two on. He fired a perfect seventh and worked around a leadoff single in the eighth.

Florida State was retired in order in the ninth to prevent a rally in the final inning.

The series continues on Friday at 2 p.m. ET, with Saturday’s finale at 11 a.m. 

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