College Softball News

No. 15 Florida State Upsets No. 9 Nebraska, 5-1

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Thanks to solid pitching and timely hitting, the No. 12 Florida State softball team (4-1) upset No. 9 Nebraska (3-1) by a score of 5-1 in the Hotel Encanto Invitational in Las Cruces, N.M. It marks the fourth-highest ranked team that head coach Lonni Alameda has defeated in her FSU tenure and is the first top-10 victory by the Seminoles since taking down No. 6 Georgia Tech on April 24, 2010.

“I am so proud of our team for the way they executed the game plan,” said Alameda. “Lacey had a tremendous game in the circle for us. Alex Kossoff and Tiffani Brown were huge along with Briana Hamilton who hit a big double for our program. What a great weekend and I am so excited for the journey ahead with the mindset this team has.”

The `Noles got to Nebraska pitcher Emily Lockman (1-1) early with a couple of base hits and walks in the first two innings, but were unable to plate a run until the third. Freshman Ellie Cooper’s bases-loaded hit by pitch brought in Maddie O’Brien to give Florida State a 1-0 lead.

Nebraska answered right back in the bottom of the frame as the Huskers took advantage of a hit by pitch, a Hamilton throwing error and a two-out RBI single by Kylee Muir to tie the game at 1-1.

Hamilton’s double in the top of the fourth brought in the second Florida State run after Courtney Senas reached on a fielder’s choice and O’Brien was intentionally walked. The Nebraska staff didn’t want anything to do with O’Brien considering the shortstop hit four home runs and drove in 12 RBI over the weekend.

Kossoff and Brown broke the game open for the `Noles in the fifth inning as Kossoff laced a two-out single into left on a 1-2 count to load the bases for Brown. The speedy senior smashed a bases-clearing triple to left center to bring in Cooper, freshman pinch runner Lauren Harris and Kossoff to make it 5-1 Florida State. Brown finished with three hits in the game and has eight for the season which is tied with O’Brien for the team lead.

Starting pitcher Lacey Waldrop (2-1) shut down the Husker bats the rest of the way. The junior only allowed one hit over the final 4.1 innings and had only two Nebraska base runners reach third base the entire game. Waldrop finished the complete game victory with three strikeouts, allowing only four hits, one walk and one unearned run.

The No. 12 `Noles are back in Tallahassee this coming weekend for the 2014 home opener as Florida State hosts the Renegade Classic from February 14-16. Southern Miss, Hofstra and North Dakota State will be in town for the tournament and the Seminoles’ first game will be against the NDSU Bison on Friday, February 14 at 4:00 p.m.

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