April 27, 2018
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Florida State embarked on a six-run surge over the first three innings, ultimately finishing the night with four unearned runs, to help defeat the University of Notre Dame softball team 9-2 on Friday night at Melissa Cook Stadium.
Notre Dame (30-19, 12-9 ACC) finished the game with a 3-1 edge in extra-base hits over No. 8/6 Florida State (40-9, 17-2 ACC), and actually out-hit the Seminoles by a cumulative 6-4 margin from the third inning on. The Irish began the night with three hits in their first five RBI opportunities, with four-of-seven total leadoff batters reaching base safely during the game.
How It Happened
Florida State picked up the game’s first hit with a meek RBI groundout to third base with the bases loaded in the top of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. Alexis Holloway (18-12) erased the jam herself by forcing the next batter to strike out looking to send the Seminoles back to the dugout.
Following a two-out walk and Notre Dame fielding error that prolonged the second inning, Florida State brought home three unearned runs to push its lead to 4-0. The Seminoles added two runs in the third to make it 6-0, but MK Bonamy made a great play on a hard line drive with the bases full to end that half of the inning thanks to some nifty glove work.
Holloway helped her own cause by ripping a leadoff double to the gap in left center field to begin the bottom of the third inning. Ali Wester clubbed a one-out single into center later in the frame that pushed Holloway to third base. Abby Sweet brought the run home with a sacrifice fly down the line in right, scoring Holloway to cut the deficit to 6-1.
Cait Brooks entered the circle for Notre Dame in the top of the fourth and mowed through the Florida State order. A lineout to Sweet in center, a groundout back to the circle and a chopper over to Katie Marino at second base retired the Seminoles 1-2-3.
A full-count walk provided Florida State with its only baserunner in the top of the fifth inning. Brooks kept the ball on the infield for three outs to stymie the visitor’s attack.
After the Seminoles tacked on two runs in the sixth to extend their lead to 8-1, Notre Dame continued to pursue the lead in the bottom of the inning. Sweet slugged a leadoff double to right center, and came around to score on a Morgan Reed RBI single up the middle that cut into the lead at 8-2. Brooks walked, Marino walked and Melissa Rochford singled to left field to keep the pressure on. A hard-luck ground ball to third base resulted in the final two outs of the Irish inning, but Notre Dame’s shift in momentum had been established.
An unearned run created by a two-out Notre Dame fielding error in the top half of the seventh inning pushed the final Florida State run across. Bonamy then stepped up with a huge catch on another line drive at first base to leave the bases full at inning’s end.
Sara White looked to get the Notre Dame rally cooking in the bottom of the seventh, lacing a one-out double inside the left-field foul line. A tricky groundout to shortstop and a swinging strikeout left the runner stranded aboard.
Up Next
Notre Dame and Florida State resume the three-game conference series on Saturday, with first pitch set for 3 p.m. (ET) at Melissa Cook Stadium.