No. 10 FSU softball has now won 21 straight games as the Seminoles sweep the No. 19 Clemson Tigers.
Florida State softball sweeps the Clemson Tigers winning game three of this series 7-3 extending their win streak to 21 games. FSU coach Lonni Alameda earns her 1000th career win and becomes only the 12th active coach in the sport to accomplish such a feat. 843 of those wins have come as the FSU head coach.
No. 10 Florida State entered this series with the No. 19 Clemson Tigers 1-4 against ranked teams, and left the series 4-4 against ranked teams. The Noles are 32-4, undefeated on the road at 6-0, and remain undefeated within the ACC at 9-0. The Seminoles are currently riding the nation's longest win streak at 21 games.
After seeing her 13 game hit streak snapped last game, All American shortstop Isa Torres started a new hit streak opening the game with a single to left field. Jaysoni Beachum would then single, sending Torres to second. With runners on first and second base, Ashtyn Danley would single, Beachum would get thrown out at second, and Torres would advance to third.
With runners on first and third, Danely would then steal second base. Bella Ruggiero would walk, and with the bases are loaded Anna Hinde would ground out, scoring Torres from third. Shelby McKenzie would ground out ending the inning. Noles up 1-0.
The second inning was quiet as the Noles went three and out and neither team recorded a run.
Things got exciting fast as Torres opened the third inning with a home run over the center field wall putting FSU up 2-0 after three innings. The homer which went 255 feet was the sixth of year for the junior who has already been named National Player of the Week and has been a back-to-back ACC Player of the Week this season.
The fourth inning saw McKenzie ground out for the first at bat of the inning. Kennedy Harp would then draw a walk. Marin Heller would then hit a double sending Harp to third base. Hayley Griggs would hit a single to the Tigers shortstop, but get Heller caught in a run down that ended with a football-like collision between Heller and the Tiger pitcher Sierra Maness (who was covering second base). Harp would score on the play. Torres would then ground out to end the inning with the Noles up 3-1
Senior pitcher Makenna Reid would take over the mound for Jazzy Francik at the top of the fourth inning. Francik has already been named ACC Pitcher of the Week twice this year, and finished the day pitching three innings, giving up three hits, and one earned run.
The top of the fifth inning saw Beachum single to left, and then advance to second base after a Danley groundout. Ruggiero would also ground out, sending Beachum to third base. Beachum would eventually score on a Hinde single. FSU was up 4-1 after the top of the fifth inning.
After Harp and Griggs would both single, Torres would blast another home run scoring Harp and Griggs, and putting the garnet and gold up 7-1.
The Tigers would attempt to rally in the bottom of the seventh inning scoring two runs, but it wasn't enough. FSU would win 7-3.
Danley would relieve Reid in the final inning as Reid earned the win to improve to 5-1 on the season. Reid retired the first eight batters she faced.
FSU will now get ready for a three game home series against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. First game is scheduled for April 2 at JoAnne Graf Field, 6pm.