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Florida State outfielder robs Duke of two-run homer in ACC Softball Tournament title game

On3-Social-Profile_GRAYby:On3 Staff Report•05/13/23
Kaley Mudge, Florida State Seminoles outfielder
Florida State left fielder Kaley Mudge goes up to attempt a catch in the team's game on April 2, 2023. (Ehsan Kassim / USA TODAY Sports)

Playing in the ACC Softball Tournament championship game on Saturday afternoon, Florida State wasted little time showing exactly why it’s in position to capture a title with an absolutely beautiful web gem.

In the top of the first inning with Duke batting, left fielder Kaley Mudge robbed a home run to save two runs.

The Blue Devils had a runner on first and brought Ana Gold to the plate with two outs. Gold worked the count full, then got hold of a pitch and launched it toward the foul pole in left field. It appeared to be staying just inside the pole and headed over the fence when Mudge leaped up and snagged it, ending the inning and the scoring threat.

The highlight reel snag kept the score blank in the first frame of the ACC Softball Tournament championship game, which might be important given how well Duke has been playing of late.

The Blue Devils are throwing freshman pitcher Cassidy Curd, who is fresh off a no-hitter of Clemson in the semifinals.

Curd’s no-hitter was the first by a freshman pitcher in ACC Softball Tournament history, and she wasn’t far off from a perfect game. The freshman star was electric from start to finish against the Tigers.

She managed to face just 23 batters in the contest, which Duke won 2-0 to advance to the meeting with Florida State, coming up two hit batters away from a perfect game.

On the season Curd is 16-1.

But Florida State is plenty talented in its own right. Starting pitcher Makenna Reid has a 12-0 record on the season with a 1.00 ERA. However, she was lifted early in the contest against Duke. Reid threw two innings and gave up two hits while striking out one before making way for 2023 ACC Pitcher of the Year Kathryn Sandercock.

Sandercock boasts a 22-3 record with a 1.20 ERA, and the Seminoles will be looking to ride her to the finish line in the ACC Softball Tournament championship game.

At the time of this writing, the teams remained tied at 0-0 in the middle of the third inning. The game is being carried live on ESPN2.