Florida State walks it off in style, claims 19th ACC softball championship

After a controversial call cost them an opportunity to blow the game open, the No. 1 seed Florida State softball team kept plugging away and pulled off a 2-1 victory against No. 2 seed Duke on Saturday to claim the 2023 ACC championship at Notre Dame, Ind.

The Seminoles won it on an RBI single by Bethaney Keen in the bottom of the seventh. Her winning hit drove home junior second baseman Devyn Flaherty, who singled with two outs to keep the inning alive.

The victory gives Florida State (50-8) its 19th ACC Tournament championship, and it made up for a call that could have cost the Seminoles dearly one inning earlier.

*ALSO SEE: How mental toughness and intentional training have given Florida State Softball’s Team 40 its edge

With Jahni Kerr at first base and running on the pitch, FSU catcher Michaela Edenfield laced a line drive toward the Duke third baseman. Kerr ended up going to third base, and Edenfield went to second because the third baseman dropped the ball and threw it off the mark to first base.

But after a lengthy conversation, the umpires ruled that Edenfield was out on the catch, and Kerr was doubled up at first base to end the threat.

Fortunately for the Seminoles, senior ace Kathryn Sandercock went back out and retired the Blue Devils (45-10) in order in the top of the seventh, and Flaherty and Keen teamed up to win it in the bottom half.

Sandercock came on in the third inning and allowed just two hits (and one unearned run) in the final five frames. She struck out five, walked one and improved to 23-3 on the season.

Release from FSU:

Bethaney Keen hit a blooper into left field, and Devyn Flaherty raced home from first in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Florida State softball team (50-8) their 19th ACC Championship with a 2-1 win over Duke Saturday afternoon at Melissa Cook Stadium in Notre Dame, Ind.

The Seminoles have won eight out of the last nine ACC Championships and swept the ACC Regular Season Championship and the ACC Tournament Championships for the 14th time. Kathryn Sandercock was named the ACC Tournament MVP, and Kalei Harding, Mack Leonard, Josie Muffley and Sandercock were all named to the ACC All-Tournament Team.

The top of the first inning started off with some fireworks as Josie Muffley made a diving catch for the first out of the game. The Blue Devils looked to have a home run with two outs, but Kaley Mudge reached her glove over the left field fence to keep the Blue Devils off the board.

Both pitchers and defenses shined, but the Seminoles struck first as Mudge hit a two-out single, and Jahni Kerr hit one into the gap to bring her home to give the Noles the lead. Sandercock kept the Blue Devils off the board in the third and fourth innings, but Duke tied it up off a passed ball in the fifth.

The Seminoles looked to be threatening in the bottom of the sixth as it appeared the Blue Devil third baseman had dropped a line drive, but Michaela was ruled out, and Jahni Kerr did not tag up and was also ruled out on the play.

Sandercock retired the Blue Devils in order in the top of the seventh, and the first two Noles were retired in the bottom of the seventh, but Flaherty reached on an infield single. Keen took the second pitch she saw to shallow left field, and it fell right in front of the left fielder. The fielder lost the ball on the exchange to allow Flaherty to score to clinch the ACC Championship.

The Seminoles will now wait to see what’s next as the NCAA Softball Selection Show will take place tomorrow at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.

Stay connected with Warchant.com for more coverage of the Seminoles’ victory.

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