FSU Tops USC Softball 4-0

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (USC SID) — Four two-out runs propelled No. 8 national seed Florida State (50-8) to a 4-0 win over South Carolina (37-22) in the winner’s bracket game on Saturday afternoon in the 2016 Tallahassee Regional.

The seventh-ranked Seminoles claimed a 2-0 lead with two down in the sixth. Carsyn Gordon singled up the middle, scoring Jessica Warren and Sydney Broderick after Warren started the frame with a double and Broderick drew a one-out walk. The duo moved into scoring position on Zoe Casas’ fly to deep center. Florida State added insurance in the seventh with consecutive two-out doubles by Ellie Cooper, Warren and Alex Powers.

Senior left fielder Alaynie Page started the fifth with an infield single and took second on an error, and freshman centerfielder Kennedy Clark followed with a bunt that died in front of the plate, giving her a hit. With runners at the corners, the Gamecocks thought they had a run in the fifth after sophomore second baseman Krystan White put down a one-out, two-strike bunt. It rolled onto the foul line and as the Seminole first baseman went to pick it up, White and her collided. After a conference, the umpires called White out due to interference and put the runners back on the corners. Seminole reliever Jessica Burroughs escaped the inning with strikeouts around the interference out.

The Gamecocks left eight runners on in the game, including the first two batters in the third and fifth and the bases loaded with two down in the fourth. In the fourth, senior right fielder Ansley Ard tripled to right with one down, and both freshman shortstop Kenzi Maguire and senior catcher Jordan Bizzell drew two-out walks. Florida State starter Meghan King got out of that jam with a foul out.

Burroughs (26-5) picked up the win with three innings of relief, striking out three. Gamecock junior Nickie Blue (19-13) took the loss, giving up four earned runs on eight hits in 6.2 innings of work while throwing a season-high 134 pitches.

Game Changer:
The Gamecocks offense had chances but could not produce the needed runs.

Key Stats:
The Seminoles hit 5-for-11 with two outs, with all four runs scoring with two down, while the Gamecocks went 0-for-3 with a runner on third and less than two outs.

Notables:
• Warren went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored.
• Six other Seminoles had hits, including the doubles to Cooper and Powers
• Blue moved into eighth on South Carolina’s career innings pitched list, passing Gretchen Koenig (1985-88).
• She also tied Darlene Gareis (1992-95) in seventh on the strikeouts list with her seven K’s.
• Clark went 2-for-4 with a double to lead the Gamecocks.
• Four other Gamecocks had one hit each, Ard with the triple and singles by Page, junior first baseman Kaylea Snaer and Bizzell.
• King kept the Gamecocks off the board in the first four innings, scattering five hits and three walks while striking out one.

Up Next:
The Gamecocks face the winner of the No. 24/24 USF and Florida A&M game later this afternoon.