TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Florida State softball forced a winner-take-all regional championship game early Sunday afternoon with a 2-1 win over UCF, but failed to capitalize on multiple chances in the second game to fall 4-2 the second game, ending their season.
Regional Championship – Game 1
The Seminoles took momentum back in the regional with a 2-1 victory thanks to two big swings and a tremendous pitching performance by ACC pitcher of the year Jazzy Francik. The sophomore completed 6.1 innings, allowing just two hits and one run.
Hayley Griggs and Anna Hinde each crushed a home run to left field.
Regional Championship – Game 2
The Knights took the lead on a two-run home run off the bat of Beth Damon.
With two outs and two runners on in the third inning, Anna Hinde singled through the infield to score Jaysoni Beachum, cutting the lead to 2-1 UCF.
Two batters later, with the bases loaded, it looked like a Shelby McKenzie single would clear the bases, but UCF challenges that Hinde left second base early. The umpires ruled that she did, and the inning ended with no runs scored.
Florida State tied the game in the fourth on a single down the line by Isa Torres. The Seminoles loaded the bases with two outs, but Ashtyn Danley flied out to end the threat with the game tied 2-2.
In the bottom of the inning, sloppy defense hurt Florida State. Hinde failed to catch foul pop up, then that batter reached on a rare error by Torres. Moments later, Izzy Mertes crushed a two-run homer to vault UCF back into the lead, 4-2.
In the seventh inning, a diving catch by Knights defensive replacement Kalista Birkenstock saved a second and third situation for Florida State. The Seminoles were unable to score in the inning and lost 4-2.
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