Florida State Baseball clinches series win; Softball team wins on Flaherty walk-off HR

For the second consecutive day, the Florida State baseball and softball teams each won home games on Saturday, albeit in different fashion.

The softball team won with a walk-off home run by Devyn Flaherty, while the baseball team cruised to a 9-0 win behind a dominant performance from pitcher Conner Whittaker. Both teams clinched series victories and will go for sweeps on Sunday

Here are the recaps from Florida State Sports Information:

Sophomore Conner Whittaker allowed just three hits and struck out seven over 8.0 scoreless innings as FSU clinched the series against Mercer with a 9-0 win Saturday afternoon at Dick Howser Stadium. Whittaker’s eight innings were the most for a Seminole pitcher this season.

At the plate, freshmen DeAmez Ross and Cam Smith hit two-run triples, while James Tibbs hit a three-run home run, his team-high 14^th.

After the first two batters of the game singled against Whittaker, only three more batters reached against the right-hander: a third-inning walk, a fourth-inning single and on an error in the eighth inning. Whittaker ended the sixth, seventh and eighth innings with a strikeout.

Ross started the scoring with his first career triple, plating Colton Vincent and Nander De Sedas with two outs in the second inning. Ross has an eight-game hitting streak, a career long and tied with Jaime Ferrer for the longest active streak on the team.

After McGwire Holbrook drew a bases loaded walk in the third, Smith’s fifth triple of the season pushed the Noles lead to 5-0 in the fourth inning. His five triples are the most for a Seminole since 2016, and he leads the ACC in three-baggers. Smith scored on Treyton Rank’s sacrifice fly.

Tibbs’ three-run home run in the eighth inning was his 14^th of the season and 24^th of his career. With three hits, a walk, two runs and three RBI Saturday, Tibbs is now hitting .329 and leads FSU with 49 runs, 39 RBI and 38 walks.

Brennen Oxford closed out the game with a scoreless ninth inning, his 22^nd appearance of the year. The shutout was FSU’s first of the season.

OF NOTE:

• Conner Whittaker set a career-high with 8.0 innings pitched, the longest for a Seminole this season. He allowed just three hits and struck out seven batters for his fourth win of the year.
• Freshmen DeAmez Ross and Cam Smith each hit two-run triples, FSU’s third game this season – and second this week – with multiple triples. Ross’s triple was the first of his career, while Smith leads FSU with five, most for a Nole since Dylan Busby had five in 2016.
• FSU’s 15 triples are its most since hitting 18 in 2013. Eight different Seminoles have a triple on the year.
• James Tibbs had three hits, including a three-run home run. Tibbs is now hitting .329 and leads FSU with 14 home runs, 39 RBI and 49 runs scored. He also improved to 5-for-5 stealing bases, tied with Ross for the team lead.
• Ross and Jaime Ferrer (single Saturday) lead FSU with eight-game hitting streaks. Smith’s five triples rank 12^th nationally and lead the ACC.
• Colton Vincent drew two walks, tying a career high for the second consecutive game.
• Treyton Rank pushed his hit streak to five games, a career high. He had two hits, scored a run and had an RBI for the second straight game. With five hits in the series against Mercer, Rank is now hitting .291 on the year.

FSU and Mercer will conclude the series on Sunday at 1 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.

Devyn Flaherty homers to give Florida State walk-off win

Devyn Flaherty hit her first home run of the season in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the third-ranked Florida State softball team (46-8, 21-2) their 12th-straight victory with a 6-4 victory over Louisville (35-16, 16-6) in 11 innings Saturday afternoon at JoAnne Graf Field.

Saturday’s game marked the longest game at the Seminole Softball Complex since May 26, 2018, when the Seminoles defeated LSU in 11 innings in the Super Regional. The win increased the Seminoles’ winning streak to 12 games, their longest streak of the season.

The Cardinals struck first as they scored runs in the first three innings to take a commanding 4-0 lead. The Noles were able to get on the board in the bottom of the third as Jahni Kerr extended her hitting streak to 12 game with a RBI double to score Josie Muffley from first.

Neither team was able to get anything going in the fourth and the fifth innings. The Seminoles got the bats going in the bottom of the sixth as Kerr led off with a double and advanced to third on an error. Kalei Harding reached on an error to score Kerr, and Michaela Edenfield singled to put runners on first and second for the Noles. After a fielder’s choice, Autumn Belviy came in to steal second to put two runners in scoring position for Hallie Wacaser. Wacaser delivered with a single to bring home Harding and Belviy to tie the game.

Mack Leonard kept the momentum going for the Noles in the top of the seventh as she struck out the side, but the Noles were not able to get anything going in the bottom of the inning to send the game into extra innings.

Kathryn Sandercock came in and didn’t allow a hit in her 2.1 innings of work in extra innings. The Noles got a base runner in all four of the extra innings, but they couldn’t convert until Flaherty’s home run in the bottom of the 11th.

Sandercock earned her 20th win of the season to improve to 20-3 on the season.

The Seminoles will look for the sweep Sunday at noon on ACC Network. This will be the Noles’ senior day as they honor Ali DuBois, Bethaney Keen, Mack Leonard, Kaia LoPreste, Josie Muffley and Kathryn Sandercock. The ceremony will begin at 11:45 a.m.

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