FSU Softball battles back to grab 3-2 win in NCAA Regional opener

by:Ben Spicer•05/17/24

Florida State outfielder Jahni Kerr’s defensive plays in the second inning of the Seminoles’ 3-2 comeback win over Chattanooga might have summarized Friday’s NCAA Regional opener for FSU.

The redshirt junior made a retreating catch at the wall in right field for the second out of the inning, then a diving catch to end the frame. Those plays kept the game scoreless at the time, and they were pivotal in helping Florida State overcome a 2-0 deficit.

“It might have been a rocky start, but in the end I caught the ball,” Kerr said. “I think that was just mindset — maybe it’s rocky in the beginning, but you just have to keep going.”

The normally explosive Seminoles lineup hit a lull offensively midway through the game, as Chattanooga retired eight consecutive Florida State batters. In the process, the Mocs took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning on a two-out double to left-center field from Acelynn Sellers.

It was Kerr who would ultimately bust Florida State’s slump, notching a one out triple in the bottom of the fifth. Senior Autumn Belviy came in to pinch run for Kerr, then scored on a single from Hallie Wacaser. Florida State trimmed the deficit to one on that base knock from Wacaser, then the Seminoles took the lead in the sixth.

Kalei Harding reached on a one-out walk, and Michaela Edenfield advanced her to third with a high bouncing single that trickled into the outfield. Edenfield would advance to second on the throw from the outfield, putting runners at second and third for freshman Isa Torres.

Torres proceeded to tie the contest with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Harding. The next batter for the Seminoles, senior Devyn Flaherty, put Florida State on top for the first time with a hard hit ball in the gap between the center and right fielders. That hit would put the Seminoles ahead 3-2.

“It’s a team effort right now,” Flaherty said. “Our whole motto is, ‘For One,’ so we need everybody. And we’ve kind of just really dove into that. Isa and I were just talking before and talking plans a little bit, and I was like, ‘You got this!’ And she was like, ‘Yeah, if I don’t, you do!’ …

“If I don’t get the job done, I have all the faith in the world that the person behind me is going to get the job done. Just really committing to that and trusting each other makes you kind of be able to go up there and just get your swing off like I was able to do.”

Florida State's Jahni Kerr dives to make a catch Friday in the NCAA Regionals against Chattanooga. (Ben Spicer/Warchant) — Florida State’s Jahni Kerr dives to make a catch Friday in the NCAA Regionals against Chattanooga. (Ben Spicer/Warchant)

Freshman pitcher Ashtyn Danley, who came on in relief of Allison Royalty in the fifth inning, shut the door on the Mocs with two strikeouts in the top of the seventh.

While it took a little while for the Seminoles to fully gain steam, there were some areas of Friday’s win that stood out to head coach Lonni Alameda.

“For our upperclassmen to just kind of settle the team down and enjoy the moment was big,” Alameda said. “I’m just real excited to survive and advance and be able to move forward.”

The victory advances Florida State (44-14) to the winners-round game Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. against UCF, which rallied to beat Auburn 11-6 on Friday afternoon.

Alameda said the Knights (31-23) will pose a challenge to the Seminoles.

“They’re very talented, very senior heavy right now,” Alameda said. “I think when you have a lot of seniors willing to leave it all out there on the field, it becomes a challenge at times and it’s going to be a dogfight tomorrow.

“They’re really gritty, experienced, a ton of experience. They’ve got depth in the circle, but that’s what this time of year is all about, and I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”