FSU softball will face Syracuse in ACC Tournament Quarterfinals

No. 1 seed FSU softball (47-8, 22-2 ACC) will face the No. 8 seeded Syracuse Orange in the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals Thursday morning. Syracuse advanced past No. 9 seed Virginia by a score of 8-2 on Wednesday afternoon for a shot to avenge a series sweep against the Noles earlier in the year.

Syracuse swept Virginia in their three-game series in late April. The Orange got outscored 23-1 in the three-game series in early March. Kathryn Sandercock fired a no-hitter in the series opener.

The combination of Allison Royalty, Ali DuBois, Makenna Reid, and Sandercock stifled the Orange bats in all three games, only allowing four hits in the series. Syracuse pitchers did themselves no favors, issuing 17 walks in the series.

The Orange committed four errors, which added to their demise. FSU is the more complete team and the No. 1 seed in the tournament for a reason.

However, Syracuse can be a scrappy bunch and was scoreless with the Noles through three innings in the first game of their series before FSU scored 10 runs in the bottom of the fourth to effectively put the game away.

However, once that onslaught took place, FSU had control of the series the rest of the way, scoring early and often in the next two games. FSU’s offense has been humming late in the season, the winners of 13 consecutive games along with solid pitching from Sandercock and Reid. I would expect one of those two to get the start in Thursday’s game.

The game will begin at 11 a.m. ET and will air on the ACC Network. FSU softball has won 18 ACC Tournament Championships and seven of the last eight, including last year’s tournament.

If the Noles get past Syracuse, they’ll take on the winner of Louisville/Virginia Tech Friday at 1 p.m. ET.