On emotional night, No. 8 FSU Softball shuts out No. 2 Gators, 4-0

On a night when emotions were rippling across every blade of grass, every speck of infield dirt and every inch of the grandstand and concourse, the No. 8 Florida State softball team played nearly flawlessly for seven innings Wednesday night in a 4-0 shutout of No. 2 Florida.

While top-10 showdowns between the Seminoles and Gators are must-see entertainment in any sport, this one was even more unique. Just two days earlier, Florida State head coach Lonni Alameda announced she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and would continue coaching while undergoing treatments.

UF’s coaching staff wore pink shirts to show their support. The Gators’ players wore pink shirts during pregame warmups. Hugs were shared and tears were shed.

“You realize just how big the game is,” Alameda said of the overwhelming love and support she has received since her announcement. “And when I say the game, just sport in general — the Florida State family, softball families, I mean, just the outpouring of high schools and club teams. Of course, Tim [Walton, UF’s coach] … we recruit against each other a lot. We know a lot of those kids, I know their families. And yeah, it brings you tears, and the umpires got tears, and everyone … I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, you guys stop. You know, I’m here and I’m alive and I’m kicking.’

“I don’t know how I’m going to move forward, you know. Trying to be as thankful for everyone’s support, but also realize like it’s a really cool moment to like raise up all the people. I mean, I go to treatments with 60 people in there getting treatment. And some people are taking taxis to come in, and I’ve got a full posse of people supporting me. So it’s very grounding and emotional, like it’s just super cool. But I think this is when we all see that sport is bigger than the sport, and that was outstanding by Florida today.”

Despite all the emotions, the Seminoles played one of their best games of the season, highlighted by a two-homer night from senior left-fielder Jahni Kerr. FSU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and limited an extremely potent UF offense to just four hits in the shutout victory.

Florida State starter Ashtyn Danley flirted with danger in the first inning, walking a pair of batters and surrendering a single to load the bases with one out. But the sophomore struck out the next two hitters to end the threat, and she cruised through the next three innings before giving way to reliever Annabelle Widra in the fifth.

Widra then mowed down all eight UF batters she faced to pick up the save, her first of the season. Danley earned the victory to improve to 7-1.

“Just trusting my defense and trying to execute every pitch,” Danley said. “Great lineup one through nine. So just really in pressure situations, just really trusting my defense, knowing that they’re behind me and knowing that they’re going to make a play.” 

With the win, Florida State is now 34-5 on the season, while the Gators fall to 33-6. FSU has won 14 consecutive games, which is the second-longest active streak in the country.

And it might not have been possible without the hot-hitting Kerr. She blasted a 3-2 pitch over the right-field fence to give the Seminoles a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Then she gave FSU some insurance with a solo shot to right in the bottom of the sixth.

They were just Kerr’s third and fourth home runs of the season.

“I think it just means more,” the senior said of beating the Gators. “Coming in, we knew we wanted to execute for each other. And playing at home is always so great, especially when it’s packed out like that.”

Alameda was not the least bit surprised to see Kerr come through on such a big stage.

“As you get to later in the season, you rely on some senior leadership,” the Florida State head coach said. “And she’s been having great outings. We moved her up into the three-spot to get a little righty-lefty [matchups], but then she’s just locked in on doing Jahni. That’s what we know she’s capable of doing.”

Before Wednesday’s game, FSU’s sold-out crowd of 1,737 showered Alameda with love and a standing ovation. After the game, she received a hug from UF coach Tim Walton and many others.

Alameda explained earlier this week that she faces several more weeks of chemotherapy, and there will undoubtedly be trying times during that journey. But she also has been buoyed by what she described as overwhelming love and support.

“I think that the love of this team has been pretty incredible,” Alameda said. “We’ve been talking about it before, but now all of a sudden the situation comes up, and it just raises it a little bit more. And I just feel like a really unique togetherness going on right now, and we’re going through the journey together. And I know I’m the leader of this, but I don’t know what’s ahead of me either.

“And I just want to stay as positive as possible, and they’re just like, they’re my rock right now in that sense. … The team, it’s just like a big family. So yeah, it’s been great.”

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