FSU softball: Noles defeat Virginia Tech to avoid series sweep

FSU softball (37-4, 11-4 ACC) won the Sunday game 8-6 against Virginia Tech to avoid the series sweep.

Kathryn Sandercock went the distance for the Noles, allowing seven hits and six earned runs, with two strikeouts and three walks. She held the Hokies scoreless until the top of the fourth inning before allowing two runs.

FSU got one of those runs back in the bottom of the fifth before the Hokies scored four runs in the top of the sixth. A one-out hit and two 2-out walk followed by a ball driven into rightfield saw Kalei Harding dive and miss resulting in the bases-clearing inside-the-park home run.

FSU would respond in the bottom of the inning with five runs on four hits, including a base clearing double by Sydney Sherrill.

Va Tech’s pitcher had several illegal pitches called in the inning, which helped the Noles’ cause. Sandercock sent the Hokies down in order in the top of the seventh for the win.

Takeaways

I know lots of FSU softball fans overreacted to the blowout loss in game two of the series Saturday. However, Va Tech had their ace pitcher on the mound like 80 percent of the series, and the Noles were two inches from walking off with the win in game one Friday night. Sandercock is good enough to match the ace of the other teams, but they will need Danielle Watson to elevate her game when they reach the postseason.

These ladies have no quit in them, and you can’t count them out of any game no matter the deficit. They forced extra-innings in game one, responded from an 11-0 deficit in game two to make it a game, and came from behind in game three to win and avoid the series sweep. Va Tech is a team that’ll make the postseason, and it’s all about who makes the plays that day when facing off against top teams.