FSU softball: Noles defeat No. 7 Washington to stay in winner’s bracket

FSU softball (57-9) defeated Washington 3-1 to continue into the winner’s bracket Saturday night. Makenna Reid got the start and went 1.1 innings before giving away to Kathryn Sandercock.

Sandercock finished the game, only allowing six hits, retiring six consecutive batters at one point. The Noles got on the board in the bottom of the second inning. Devyn Flaherty had a great at-bat with two strikes and stroked a double into the right-centerfield gap.

Mack Leonard got on base via error, and Katie Dack singled to load the bases with one out. Josie Muffley hit a seeing-eye single between third and shortstop to score a run. Kaley Mudge hit a sacrifice fly to score the second run for the 2-0 lead. Washington led off the top of the sixth inning with a double. Sandercock got FSU’s first strikeout on the next batter. It should have been strike three on the next batter, but the umpire didn’t call it.

The batter hit a single to left field, and Kaley Mudge threw the ball into second base instead of the cut-off man, allowing the runner to score to make it 2-1. Sandercock forced a groundout and intentionally walked the next batter to put runners on first and third with two outs. Sandercock forced a groundout to end the inning.

Devyn Flaherty led off the bottom of the sixth with another great at-bat, hitting a single to center field. She stole second base, and Mack Leonard laid down a sacrifice bunt that Washington threw away at first to score Flaherty to make it 3-1.

Bethaney Keen singled to center field to put runners on first and second with one out. Josie Muffley hit a rocket to right field that was caught on a diving play, and they doubled off the runner at first for the double play. FSU had three baserunning errors in that inning. Washington led off the bottom of the seventh with a single(ball deflected off Sandercock).

The next batter got jammed and hit a blooper just between first and second base to put runners on first and second with no outs. Sandercock got a flyout on the next batter. Josie Muffley made a webgem, snatching a line drive and doubling off the runner at second for the double play to end the game!!!

The Noles will have Sunday off and will face the winner of the Oklahoma State/Tennessee Monday night.