Kalei Harding, talented freshmen and pitching | Takeaways from opening week for FSU softball

The overreaction to Florida State softball's opening-night loss to Charlotte was premature.

Shocking.

The No. 4 Seminoles are going to be a work in progress for much of February, as head coach Lonni Alameda figures out how to fit the puzzle pieces together for the 2024 team after losing several key pieces from last year's Women's College World Series Runner-Up team.

But the way FSU responded should give fans some hope that this is a team that could return to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in June for the WCWS.

The Seminoles finished the weekend with a 4-1 record for the weekend at the season-opening JoAnne Graf Classic at JoAnne Graf Field.

They outscored Charlotte, Texas Tech and FAMU 37-16, including two run-rule victories and one in the walk-off variety, after the 6-5 loss in the opener.

FSU played one team that reached the tournament in 2023 (Charlotte) on its opening weekend. The road gets tougher this weekend, as the Seminoles play four top-10 programs and opponents who are contending to reach the WCWS this season.

Here are takeaways from the opening weekend.

Kalei Harding superstardom

Kalei Harding has been an emerging player already, but this week she proved she's on the path to superstardom for the Seminoles.

She played in all 69 games in 2023, starting 68 of them, and hit .311 with 10 home runs and 48 RBI.

Harding led the charge following FSU's disappointing opening day loss, hitting two home runs and driving in seven runs in FSU's 11-0 5-inning run-rule victory over Charlotte.

She hit a three-run home run in the first inning and added a grand slam in the fourth to tie the school record with her seven runs driven in.

Harding wasn't done just yet, adding another home run Sunday against the Rattlers in an 8-2 victory.

On the season, Harding already sits with three home runs, two doubles, 11 RBI and nine runs scored while hitting for a .529 average. She's hitting a cool .600 with runners in scoring position.

Freshmen success

The freshmen class for the Seminoles has been highly touted for a while. But the talented group took over JoAnne Graf Field this weekend, proving they are ready for this level.

Shortstop Isa Torres hit a walk-off single to plate two runs in Saturday's 9-8 comeback victory over the Red Raiders. Later in the day, Tallahassee's own Jaysoni Beachum hit her first career home run, helping the Seminoles run-rule FAMU 11-0.

In the win over the Rattlers, freshman pitcher Mimi Gooden threw a shutout five innings, earning the victory for FSU.

For the weekend, Torres - a standout athlete from Georgetown High School in Georgetown, Texas - hit .467 (7 for 15) with two doubles, two walks, three RBI and five runs scored. She also swiped her first career base against the Rattlers on Sunday. Torres did commit two errors at shortstop but also made some key defensive stops.

Beachum - who attended Florida High for her last seasons of high school ball - hit for a .533 average (8 for 15) with a home run, seven RBI and three runs scored. She also added two walks and played a clean weekend of defense at third base.

Gooden - the right-handed pitcher from Gaither High in Milton - threw a scoreless inning against the 49ers on Friday before drawing her first career start Saturday, when she limited FAMU to three hits and two walks while striking out four in her shutout performance.

Asthyn Danley also showed off her potential over the weekend. The No. 2 ranked prospect in the 2023 class from Huntland High in Winchester, Tennessee, allowed four earned runs on 12 hits in her five innings of work, walking four and striking out three.

Danley also collected the first hit of her career on Sunday against FAMU.

Pitching, pitching, pitching

The FSU offense is loaded with talent. That was evident over the weekend. But how far this team can go will come down to how well it can pitch.

The Seminoles scored 42 runs over the weekend but allowed 14 runs in the first three games.

After throwing just 6 ⅓ innings last season, Emma Wilson got the start on opening night and pitched a career-high 6 ⅔ innings. The redshirt senior pitched a total of 9 ⅔ innings over the weekend, with a 2.17 ERA, allowing three earned runs on eight hits. Of those eight hits, five went for extra bases.

Sophomore Makenna Reid struggled with control in the opener against Charlotte but settled in for a strong start against the Rattlers on Sunday, where she struck out six in four scoreless innings. Reid taking the next step will be crucial for FSU this season.

Allison Royalty seemed to take a step in the right direction for the Seminoles over the weekend. She allowed one run (no earned runs) on six hits in 6 ⅓ innings, striking out six and allowing no walks.

The aforementioned Danley seemed a bit overwhelmed on opening night, overthrowing a bit. She struggled against Texas Tech and FAMU but is someone to expect to improve as she gets more innings. The same can be true for Gooden, who showed off some of her potential in a strong start against FAMU.

Sophomore Madi Balk did not pitch for the Seminoles over the weekend.

Reach Ehsan Kassim at ekassim@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Ehsan_Kassim. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports), Instagram (tlhnolesports) and YouTube channel (NoleSportsTD).

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Kalei Harding, Isa Torres emerge as first weekend stars for FSU softball