TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The No. 3 seed Florida State Softball Team (55-9) punched their ticket to the Women’s College World Series with a 4-2 victory over No. 14 seed Georgia (42-15) at the Seminole Softball Complex. This is the Seminoles’ first super regional series win at home since the 2018 Women’s College World Series Championship team.
FSU went to work in the third with two straight hits to start the inning before a grounder moved Autumn Belviy and Josie Muffley into scoring position. Jahni Kerr appeared with the chance to bring in the first runs of the game and did so with a shot to the Georgia shortstop who elected to throw home, but Belviy just hit the mark by the slimmest of margins and the Noles were on. .
Kalei Harding was next to bat and continued her strong postseason performance with a beautifully hit two-run RBI double to left to score Muffley and Kerr for a 3-0 advantage after three. She finished the night with two hits and currently leads the team in the postseason with 12 hits.
Georgia was able to answer in the bottom of the third with a groundout to first to allow the runner on third to score their first run. The Noles’ next run came in the sixth when Hallie Wacaser crushed a liner to right for an RBI single to send Amaya Ross to home plate and restore the three-run lead.
The Bulldogs turned up the pressure in the sixth with an RBI single to cut the lead to two before Kathryn Sandercock came on in relief. She closed out the inning with a walk, pop-up and two swinging strikeouts to bring the crowd into a roar.
In the bottom of the seventh with the winning run for Georgia at the plate, Sandercock forced a fly out to Kaley Mudge to earn the win and advance to the 2023 Women’s College World Series.
In their final appearances in Tallahassee, Mack Leonard and Kathryn Sandercock bowed out with mighty performances in the circle.
Leonard had one of his most dominant performances in the circle with his FSU-best 4.1 innings, striking out the first six batters to start the game, allowing just one extra base hit through his 50 pitches and picking up his fifth career win as a Seminole.
Sandercock came on in relief for the 180th appearance for Florida State, which is now the all-time leader in pitching appearances in program history, and provided clutch pitching in tight situations and picked up his ninth save of the season.
The Seminoles will now pack their bags and head to Oklahoma City for the Women’s College World Series and will face No. 6 seed Oklahoma State on Thursday, June 1
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