Offense powers FSU baseball past Mercer, softball picks up close victory on Senior Day
On an emotional Senior Day Sunday, the seniors stepped up as the No. 3 Florida State softball team (47-8, 22-2) beat Louisville (35-17, 16-7) 2-1 to complete the series sweep to end the regular season.
The win increased the Noles' winning streak to 13 games as they head to the ACC Tournament as the No. 1 seed.
The Seminoles will play at 11 a.m. on Thursday against the winner of Virginia and Syracuse. Thursday's game can be seen live on the ACC Network.
The offense did not come easy for either team as the two teams combined for just seven hits, but Josie Muffley got the scoring going for the Seminoles with her first home run since Apr. 17, 2021, in the third inning to give the Noles a 1-0 lead.
Mack Leonard hit a double in the bottom of the fourth inning, and Hallie Wacaser reached on an error to put runners on second and third for Devyn Flaherty. Flaherty was able to hit a fly ball deep enough to score Leonard to give the Noles a 2-0 cushion.
Allison Royalty got the start for the Seminoles and put together a quality start going 2.2 innings and allowing just two hits with two strikeouts while keeping the Cardinals scoreless.
Kathryn Sandercock made a relief appearance for the Seminoles in the third inning with a runner on third, and Sandercock immediately got a groundout to get out of the innings.
Sandercock went on to retire 10-straight batters, but the Cardinals threatened in the seventh inning with a leadoff triple.
A sacrifice fly brought the runner home, but Sandercock slammed the door with a groundout and ended the game with a strikeout.
With the win, Sandercock became just the fourth Seminole in school history to eclipse 100 career wins. She joins Lacey Waldrop (109), Meaghan King (108) and Leslie Malerich (107). In her career, Sandercock holds a 100-11 record with the Seminoles.
FSU baseball pounds Mercer in eight innings
Behind seven extra-base hits – including three home runs – and 5 shutout innings from Andrew Armstrong, Florida State beat Mercer 13-3 in eight innings Sunday afternoon to complete the series sweep.
The Seminoles never looked back after scoring five runs on five hits in the first inning, all with two outs. Every Seminole starter had a hit against Mercer, led by James Tibbs’ 3-for-3 performance with two doubles and two walks. Tibbs now leads FSU with a .341 batting average, 51 runs and 39 walks.
Titan Kamaka also had three hits to match his career high, and his three RBI and three runs were a career high. Kamaka hit his second home run of the weekend and got FSU on the board with a two-run single in the first inning; he is the sixth different Seminole this year with at least three hits, runs and RBI in a game.
Colton Vincent had three hits and three RBI – including his second career home run – while Cam Smith hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning. Smith’s 12 home runs match Ryne Malone in 2004 for the most by Seminole freshman over the last 20 years.
After Mercer cut the deficit to 5-2 with a home run in the second inning, Armstrong (2-3) entered in relief and allowed just two hits with five strikeouts over a career-best 5.0 innings. Both batters to reach after the second inning were retired on double plays.
FSU scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, with McGwire Holbrook’s walk-off single scoring Kamaka to end the game.
The sweep was FSU’s second of the season and first since opening with a sweep of James Madison in mid-February.
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OF NOTE:
Florida State scored five runs in the first inning for the second time this week, its most in an opening inning this year. All nine FSU players had at least one hit.
In his 100th career start, Colton Vincent was 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. He hit his second home run of the season and has doubled his extra-base hits from 2022 (six to 12).
James Tibbs was 3-for-3 with two doubles (12 on season) and two walks. He now leads FSU with a .341 batting average, 51 runs and 39 walks. He has reached safely in 12 straight games.
Titan Kamaka extended his hitting streak to four games – a career long – with a two-run single in the first inning. He finished with three hits, three runs and three RBI – the sixth different Seminole with that stat line, the most in a season for the Noles since 2009.
Treyton Rank singled in the first inning, extending his hitting streak to a career-long six games. He finished with eight hits in the series against Mercer, improving his batting average from .268 to .295.
DeAmez Ross and Jaime Ferrer singled in the second inning, extending their hitting streaks to a team-long nine games. Ross’s streak is the longest of his career, while Ferrer has reached safely in 16 straight games, tops on the team.
Andrew Armstrong made his 29th pitching appearance, pitching a career-high 5.0 innings. He allowed two hits and struck out five, and both batters to reach base after the third inning were retired on double plays.
Florida State turned two double plays and now has 36 on the year. FSU has 10 games with multiple double plays.
Reports filed by FSU sports information.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU baseball relies on seven extra base hits, softball holds on
