Ira Schoffel: FSU Softball heading back to Supers after putting the past in its place

Maybe it needed to be this way.

For it to come against another Southeastern Conference opponent in the championship round of another ridiculously challenging NCAA Regional.

For the Florida State softball team to suffer another shutout defeat in the first game of that championship round, and for that loss to snap another lengthy win streak.

Perhaps this was how it had to happen.

If the Seminoles (53-9) were going to truly exorcise the demons that have hovered in the background of all of their successes during the past 364 days, perhaps they needed to face almost exactly the same situation as they did in this spot last year. And they needed to prove they could come out on top.

Did they ever.

Thanks to a perfect game from senior pitcher Kathryn Sandercock, excellent defense from the Seminoles’ infield and some well-executed small ball in the third inning, FSU pulled out a 1-0 victory Sunday afternoon against visiting South Carolina (40-22).

The win avenged a 4-0 loss earlier in the day, and it propelled the Seminoles back to the NCAA Super Regionals after a one-year absence. They will face another SEC opponent, Georgia, for the right to advance to the Women’s College World Series.

“Pretty familiar losing Game 1,” said Sandercock, who improved to 25-3 with her historic performance. “But I think the vibe of the team was completely different in between games. We were all locked in. We were all confident. We knew that … if we were gonna lose today, we were gonna leave it out there on the field.”

For anyone who needs a refresher: On May 22, 2022, Florida State dropped the opening game of the championship round, 5-0, to visiting Mississippi State to snap a 16-game win streak. The Seminoles then opened an early 3-1 lead in the rematch but faltered down the stretch and saw their season end with a 4-3 defeat.

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On May 21, 2023, the Seminoles were not about to let that happen again — not even after they saw an 18-game win streak snapped in Sunday’s early game.

When Florida State’s players went inside their locker room between contests, Alameda said she could sense things were completely different this time around.

Instead of complaining about the umpire’s strike zone or expressing frustration about things that weren’t going their way — as was the case last year — Alameda said the Seminoles remained upbeat and confident, thinking positively about all the things they were going to do better in the nightcap.

“We were looking for like excuses, instead of taking it to ourselves,” Alameda said of the 2022 team’s demise. “And I think that’s what we learned. Like, so what, who cares? So what there’s a weather delay. So what the umpire’s calling [pitches off the plate] … that was a different feeling for me.”

Indeed, if Florida State’s players were going to get knocked off script on Sunday, it likely would have happened during a 40-minute weather delay in the bottom of the fifth inning.

At the time, the Seminoles held a 1-0 lead, they had a runner on first base with one out, and South Carolina pitcher Donnie Gobourne seemed to be losing her command. But the delay gave Gobourne time to settle down, and it also could have cooled off Sandercock’s momentum after a strong five innings.

But the fifth-year senior made sure that didn’t happen. She stayed in the bullpen for most of the stoppage, making sure she remained hydrated and kept her energy up with snacks, and she did yoga to stay calm.

Sandercock’s teammates, meanwhile, were in the locker room managing their own emotions. Some sang and danced. Some put on recovery boots to keep blood flowing through their lower legs.

Senior shortstop Josie Muffley kept her helmet and gloves on the entire time, but took a little nap to rest her mind.

“We were ready,” Muffley said.

What the Seminoles didn’t do during the break was dwell on the things that hadn’t gone right.

They didn’t point fingers, complain about the umpires or lament missed opportunities. And they didn’t worry about experiencing the same type of disappointment as last year.

“A great thing about this team is we’ve talked about last year all year,” Sandercock said. “It was the first thing we did when we came in here [this season], we watched last year’s game.”

At Alameda’s insistence, Florida State’s players have been confronting the disappointment of last season for 52 weeks. They felt as if ignoring it — or sweeping it under the rug, as Sandercock said — would have been a “disservice” to the players from that team and this one.

So when the exact same scenario started to unfold Sunday, they were ready for it.

The Seminoles took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Muffley singled, advanced to second on a groundout, and then scored when South Carolina committed an error on a perfectly placed bunt by Jahni Kerr.

Sandercock and the defense handled things from there. The senior ace needed just 59 total pitches to record 21 outs. South Carolina didn’t hit one ball out of the infield all game, as Sandercock recorded 15 groundouts, five strikeouts and one pop-up.

It was Florida State’s first solo perfect game since Meghan King accomplished the feat against Tulsa in 2016, and the 15th perfect game in program history (the first in an NCAA Tournament).

Because FSU’s players were reluctant to mention the perfect game in progress, Muffley said she didn’t even realize it was happening until after the final out. She was simply focused on the next batter and the next pitch.

Sandercock knew all along.

The senior ace said he keeps track every game of when an opponent records its first baserunner and first hit. It’s always on her mind, whether she wants it to be there or not.

This marked the first time since high school that she was able to stay perfect for the entire seven innings.

“Held onto it today,” she said with a smile.

The Seminoles have been holding onto a lot for the past 364 days.

Now, perhaps, they can finally let it go.

Contact managing editor Ira Schoffel at [email protected] and follow @iraschoffel on Twitter.

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

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