Trying to bounce back after a close loss to Texas Tech to open up play in the Shriners Clearwater Invitational, No. 9 Florida State softball faced off against upset-minded FAU on Friday, coming back from a 4-1 deficit and staving off the Owls to secure a 9-5 win.
FSU struggled with its bats in the top of the first, going three up, three down as the Owls strung together impressive pitching and fielding to start things off.
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Ashtyn Danley got the start on the mound for the Seminoles, striking out the first FAU batter and giving up a walk as Florida State managed to exit the inning before any runner managed to reach second.
FSU’s offensive woes looked like they were about to continue in the second, but facing two outs the Seminoles saw Shelby McKenzie single and eventually get sent home off a fantastic triple from Hayley Griggs, the first of her career.
FAU managed to plate two runners in the bottom frame with two outs, taking the lead as the Owls reeled off a triple of their own and before the inning closed out, they would tack on two additional runs to make it 4-1.
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The Seminoles couldn’t get anything going in the third, with two runners getting on base due to walks but nothing more than that.
Marlee Gaskell, who took the mound in relief for Danley in the second, gave up a single to start off the bottom of the third. After a flyout, FAU got another runner on base after a walk, at which point FSU made another change on the mound by sending out Jazzy Francik. She struck out the first batter she faced, the next grounding out to end the inning.
Florida State came out swinging to start the fourth, with Anna Hinde singling then finding herself scoring as Griggs hit a one-out double RBI. Griggs scored after off a Makenna Sturgis double, making it a 4-3 ballgame. FSU tied things up off another double, this time for Isa Torres, who found herself on third after FAU tried to throw out Sturgis at home. Marin Heller sent her home with the fifth hit of the inning for the Seminoles, putting FSU in the lead once again.
It was a no-nonsense bottom frame for FSU as Francik gave up a walk but nothing else, striking out her second batter of the game.
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The scoring continued for FSU in the fifth, with Danley smacking a home run on a 2-1 count, shortly followed by Hinde knocking one of her own to put the Seminoles up 7-4. Facing a 2-2 count with one runner on, Angelee Bueno sent Sturgis into scoring position with two outs, but Torres was unable to make a little bit more magic happen as she grounded out to send the game to the bottom frame — where Owls were held without a hit for the first time in the matchup, logging two flyouts and a groundout.
In the top of the sixth, FSU managed to plate its first two batters but didn’t get anything out of it as the next three failed to reach base. FAU found itself back on the scoreboard shortly after, with some hesitation on FSU’s part on defense leading to runners on base and an eventual score. The Owls then had the tying runs on base with just one out, a right-field flyout putting one in scoring position. FSU managed to leave the inning without any further damage done though, leaving the game at 7-5.
The seventh saw Florida State pad its lead even more, with Sturgis blasting a two-run homer to score herself and Griggs. FSU had Torres in scoring position with two outs and Heller on first, but a Danley groundout sent it to the bottom of the seventh with the game sitting at 9-5 in the Seminoles’ favor.
FAU tried its best to rally for a comeback in the bottom of the seventh, plating two runners with two outs, but a groundout ended the game, securing a Florida State win heading into Saturday’s matchup with UCLA.