FSU softball wins opener in top-10 showdown at Oklahoma State

Via FSU sports information:

The No. 6 Florida State softball team handed No. 3 Oklahoma State its second loss of the season in front of a packed Cowgirl Stadium Friday night in Stillwater, Okla. It was the Seminoles’ second top 5 win of the season and its 12th-straight win.

In a game that lasted three and a half hours and had three different lead changes, the Seminoles (21-3) used a gritty performance to fend off the Cowgirls (18-2). After a scoreless first inning, Devyn Flaherty and Mack Leonard drew back-to-back walks to give the Seminoles their first real threat of the game. Hallie Wacaser ripped one up the center for her 13th RBI of the season to bring home Leonard to score the game’s first run.

In the fourth inning, Flaherty and Leonard each drew their second walks of the game, and Michaela Edenfield hit a moonshot deep into left center for her fourth home run of the season to bring three runs across to give the Noles a commanding 4-0 lead.

The Cowgirls did not go down quietly and took advantage of two errors by the Seminoles to bring four runs across the board. The Cowgirls took the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning off another error.

The Seminoles gained life again early in the top of the sixth inning as Edenfield drew a leadoff walk. Amaya Ross came in as a pinch runner and immediately stole second to put herself in scoring position. Ross advanced to third base on a Josie Muffley groundout, and she scored on a fielder’s choice to tie the game. Kalei Harding then hit a rocket off the left field wall to bring two runs home to give the lead back to the Seminoles.

The Cowgirls loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, but Kathryn Sandercock jammed the batter to force a pop up to get out of the inning.

In the bottom of the seventh with a two-run lead, the Cowgirls drew a leadoff walk but a 1-4-3 double play ended the threat, and Sandercock recorded a strikeout for the final out of the game to give the Seminoles the win.

Makenna Reid was credited with her sixth win of the season, and Sandercock recorded her third save of the year. The two pitchers did not allow an earned run as each of the Cowgirls’ five runs came off the Noles’ five errors.

The two teams will meet again Saturday at 3 p.m. on ESPN+.