Lonni Alameda happy with Florida State's effort in loss to Oklahoma

The Women’s College World Series wrapped up on Thursday as the Oklahoma Sooners completed their quest to become back-to-back-to-back national champions. Still, the team that they faced, the Florida State Seminoles, put up as much of a fight as they could muster to the very end.

But was their effort good enough for their head softball coach Lonni Alameda? Following the game, the Seminoles skipper addressed that question and many others.

“100 percent. You know, strategically, we wanted to match up Kat with whoever. (I) Thought we’d have a chance,” said Alameda. “We had some information on Jordy. Jordy is good. So it was our best chance to get to Game 3. I felt we got some good information yesterday. Our rookies that were in that environment came back today, and they were different. I thought we had a great game.

The effort was there from Florida State in both games. In game one, when Oklahoma had three on base, Seminoles outfielder Kaley Mudge made a spectacular play at the wall stealing a three-run homerun from Haley Lee.

Had Mudge not made that amazing catch, the game would’ve ended via the newly implemented run rule.

In Game 2, Florida State was able to break the defensive stalemate in the bottom of the four, giving themselves a 1-0 lead. Unfortunately, Oklahoma’s bats came alive late again, scoring three unanswered to take the game, series, and softball crown by a score of 3-1.

“Coleman doesn’t rob that home run; who knows? It’s a game of inches. If Max’s ball is two inches on Game 1 down the right-field line, it’s a different game, too. I think the softball gods weren’t with us this time around. We laid it out there. I’m really proud of them. It feels really good to know that you bounce back and you’re able to do what we did. Kat led us the whole way there. It was pretty special to see that and end her career there.”

During any other season, Florida State’s 53-8 record would have possibly in the best record in college softball for that year. Unfortunately, they ran into a generational team in Oklahoma who set several records of their own on their way to their third straight national championship.

While the result may not have been what the Seminoles wanted, the effort was there. And regardless of the outcome, the level of competitiveness that Florida State showed is something all fans of college softball can appreciate.