A no-hitter, three long homers highlight Florida State's 9-0 win over Marist in NCAA Regional

The day probably couldn’t have gone much better for Florida State softball coach Lonni Alameda if she had scripted it herself.

Her FSU team, fresh off an ACC Tournament championship, run-ruled Marist 9-0 in five innings on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tallahassee Regional, setting up a winners’ bracket game against UCF on Saturday at 1 p.m.

The Seminoles, the No. 3 overall national seed, pitched a combined no-hitter (starter Mack Leonard went four innings and freshman Makenna Reid came in and worked a perfect fifth) and hit three long home runs to win their first game of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

“Really proud of this squad,” Alameda said afterward. “Mack really set it off for us, set the tone, getting some good outs there and then swinging the bat. So, Step 1 for us. And excited for tomorrow.”

The only two baserunners the Marist offense got all game were on a rare Josie Muffley error in the top of the second and a walk. Other than that, it was all zeroes for the Red Foxes.

Meanwhile, after the Seminoles (51-8) left the bases loaded in the second inning without scoring, they went to work in the third to take control of the game.

Leonard doubled high off the wall in right-center to score Kalei Harding for the first run of the game. After Devyn Flaherty reached with an infield single, Hallie Wacaser singled to right to drive in Leonard — Flaherty also scored on the play after the right-fielder struggled to field the ball.

Catcher Michaela Edenfield then blew the game open with a two-run homer to right-center field. It was her 11th of the season and gave the Seminoles a 5-0 lead.

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The Seminoles added to their lead in the next inning when Harding launched a two-run home run to left field that landed on the road and bounced into the parking deck. It was absolutely destroyed.

“I would say so,” Harding said, when asked if it was the hardest ball she’s ever hit. “It was a good one. Not like hers though.”

She then pointed to Edenfield, who is known for launching very long home runs herself.

“Not like mine?” Edenfield said with a smile. “Girl, you smacked it.”

She did. So did another FSU batter the next inning.

The Seminoles were able to end the game an inning later when Katie Dack homered to left field — on her birthday of all days — to walk it off for the home team and send Florida State into the winners’ bracket.

Dack and Edenfield both have been struggling to provide consistent power for the offense lately, so their homers could be very good signs for the Seminoles moving forward.

Either way, a no-hitter, a five-inning game, three homers, and a drama-free day where she didn’t have to use ace Kathryn Sandercock was about as well as Alameda could have hoped for as her team started its quest for a return trip Oklahoma City and the Women’s College World Series.

“The jitters of Game 1 are always there,” Alameda said. “But (Marist) was swinging it, we knew they’d be super aggressive. There are no mid-major teams anymore, and he coaches them well. So,you’ve got to make sure you stay in there, because any runs this time of year can be something crazy.”

“To get (Reid) out there was awesome, and she did her thing, and that was good. Now, let’s get some rest, get some water and get after it tomorrow.”

UCF advanced to face Florida State by defeating South Carolina, 6-1, in Friday’s late game.

The Seminoles are riding a 17-game win streak into Saturday’s contest, while the Knights have won 14 straight.

Talk about this story with other die-hard FSU football fans on the Tribal Council.