Defense, Sandercock lift Florida State Softball past Washington, 3-1

One more win. That’s all the Florida State softball team needs to return to the championship round of the Women’s College World Series.

Thanks to an incredible leaping catch by shortstop Josie Muffley that led to a game-ending double play, the Seminoles knocked off Washington, 3-1, on Saturday night to move forward in the WCWS winners’ bracket.

Florida State also got another strong performance from ace pitcher Kathryn Sandercock to get the win. The senior came on in the second inning and pitched the final 5 2/3 innings to improve to 28-3 on the year.

She gave up six hits but just one run as FSU improves to 57-9 on the season.

Second baseman Devyn Flaherty led FSU offensively by going 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored. She also was on the back end of the game-ending double play with two Washington runners on base.

Florida State will face the winner of Tennessee and Oklahoma State on Monday at 7 p.m. The Seminoles will only need one more win to advance to the championship round, while the other the Vols or Cowgirls would need to beat FSU two times.

We have no words😨#Team40 pic.twitter.com/IGASxNYaiC

— Florida State Softball 🥎 (@FSU_Softball) June 4, 2023

RELEASE FROM FSU:

The third-seeded Florida State softball team (57-9) earned a spot in the Women’s College World Series semifinal after a hard-fought 3-1 victory over seventh-seeded Washington (44-14) at OGE Energy Field. This marks the Seminoles’ first-ever 2-0 start to the WCWS and fourth straight WCWS trip advancing to the national semifinals.

Devyn Flaherty opened the bottom of the second with a scorching double into right center before Mack Leonard reached first on an error by the Washington third baseman. Designated player Katie Dack then drove a single into right field on a full count to load the bases with one out.

Josie Muffley delivered in another clutch situation with a single through the right side to move the runners over one base, allowing Flaherty to score the first run for the Seminoles. After a Huskies pitching change, Kaley Mudge skied out to left field for a sacrifice fly, which scored Leonard to increase the lead to 2-0 after two innings.

Kathryn Sandercock came in relief during the second inning and cruised through the middle innings with nine straight retired batters and conceded no extra-base hits through 3.2 innings. Washington was able to score a run in the sixth to cut FSU’s lead to 2-1 with a runner at first and one out. A groundout moved the UW runner to second, and a steal of third put the tying run 60 feet away from home. Sandercock then forced a groundout to Flaherty to shut down the dangerous situation. Sandercock forced eight groundouts and allowed just one extra-base hit on 90 pitches in 5.2 innings. She moved into third on the program’s all-time wins list with the 107th victory of her career.

Flaherty was the first Seminole batter up in the bottom of the sixth and continued her stellar night with a single for her second hit of the game. The team leader in stolen bases made her mark again as she stole second, her 31st steal of the season, and scored her second run of the game after Leonard once again reached on an error that restored FSU’s two-run lead.

In the top of the seventh, Washington hit two singles to put the tying runner on base. Mudge caught the first out and quickly threw back to the infield to keep the runners at first and second. The next batter fired a ball destined for the outfield to likely score a run but Muffley made a jaw-dropping leap to snag the ball and fired to second for the unbelievable game-ending double play.

The Seminoles await the winner of Sunday night’s elimination game between Tennessee and Oklahoma State on Monday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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