(Photo Courtesy of Florida State Athletics)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The No. 10-ranked Florida State softball team opened the Unconquered Classic with a 6-2 win against Charleston Southern on JoAnne Graf Field. The Seminoles extend their winning streak to 12 and have now won eight straight at home.
“Maddie is dialed in, she is having a blast,” said head coach Lonni Alameda. “That is another kicker. You want to get to that point as a player and the ups and downs of the season where you have to embrace the failures. That’s a big part of our game, and she’s really enjoying it and having a lot of fun. It is obviously showing with her at the plate.”
Florida State scored in the first inning for the ninth time this season as Tiffani Brown led off the game with a walk and stole second base. A throwing error by the catcher allowed her to score on the play.
Courtney Senas would then draw a walk, one of a career-high three walks on the evening, to set the table for Maddie O’Brien’s sixth home run of the season that cleared the fence in centerfield. Her home run was the 24th of her career which ties her for fourth in FSU history with Tiffany Daniels (1986-89).
O’Brien would add RBIs in her next two at bats with a sac-fly to center in the second and a fielder’s choice groundout in the fourth. Her four RBIs on the night would give her 25 for the season and 115 for her career which ties her with teammate Senas for eighth all-time.
The `Noles also produced with small ball. Five of the Seminoles’ seven hits were in the infield, including three bunt singles. Alex Kossoff went 2-for-2 on the night without a ball reaching the pitcher’s circle. Brown was 2-for-3 and scored three runs with two infield singles.
Redshirt freshman Jessica Burroughs was the starter for the Noles and pitched very well in the circle. She moved to 6-0 on the season behind 5.0 innings pitched, scattering five hits, two runs and two walks and posting five strikeouts.
Redshirt senior pitcher Jessica Nori entered the game with two runners on, no one out with the Seminoles clinging to a 5-2 lead. She would go on to retire all six batters she faced, striking out two, to get her first save of the season and sixth of her career. She is now tied for fourth all-time in saves with Leslie Malerich (1999-2002).
“I couldn’t be more proud of this program right now,” added Alameda. “They are taking steps every day to get to our big goal of being in Oklahoma City in June. It’s been an outstanding family effort.”
The Seminoles are back in action Saturday, Feb. 22 at 2:00 p.m. to face UC Santa Barbara as the Unconquered Classic continues at JoAnne Graf Field.
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