Sweep in South Bend! Florida State baseball, softball teams win series openers vs. Irish

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The Florida State softball and baseball teams are both playing at Notre Dame this weekend, and both Seminole squads came away victorious on Friday night.

The FSU baseball team opened an early lead and held on for the win, while the softball team rallied and won in extra innings.

Here are both releases from Florida State Sports Information:

Florida State Softball wins in eighth

The No. 4 Florida State softball team (41-8, 17-2) completed its largest comeback of the season in a 5-4 win over Notre Dame (29-14-1, 11-10-1) on Friday night in eight innings.

The first four innings featured a classic pitcher’s duel as the Seminoles recorded two hits while Kathryn Sandercock held the Fighting Irish hitless through four innings. Notre Dame was able to push four runs across in the bottom of the fifth and looked to push the fifth run of the inning across, but the runner left first base early wiping the run off the board.

That would be a costly mistake as the Seminoles recorded singles from Kaley Mudge and Mack Leonard to put runners on first and second with two outs. Jahni Kerr delivered to bring Mudge home to give the Seminoles their first run of the game. Michaela Edenfield then stepped in and hit a no-doubter home run that landed over the scoreboard into the wind at Mellissa Cook Stadium to tie the game at four.

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Makenna Reid came in and retired the Irish in order in the bottom of the sixth to give the Noles a chance to take the lead in top of the seventh, but the Seminoles stranded a runner on second. The Irish would get the leadoff runner on base thanks to an error, but Reid recorded two popups and a strikeout to end the threat to send the Seminoles to their first extra innings game of the season.

Kalei Harding led off the eighth inning with a double, and Leonard moved her to third with a groundout. Kerr battled through an 0-2 count with four foul balls before finally putting the ball in play. Harding got caught in a rundown but kept the play alive long enough to allow Kerr to advance to third. A passed ball allowed Kerr to race home to give the Noles its first lead of the game.

The Irish got a two-out double in the bottom of the eighth, but Reid recorded her third strikeout of the game to give the Seminoles the win. Reid improved to 11-0 after pitching three innings and allowing just one hit.

The two teams will meet for the second game of the series on Saturday at noon on ACC Network Extra.

Baumeister shines in Seminole baseball win

Jackson Baumeister pitched 6.0 innings and struck out nine hitters – while allowing just one run – in Florida State’s 3-2 victory at Notre Dame Friday evening. Doug Kirkland earned his second save in as many games with 2.1 scoreless innings.

The Fighting Irish stranded eight runners in the game as Baumeister needed 106 pitches to complete his six innings. He has struck out nine batters in back-to-back games as he improved to 3-4 on the season. Andrew Armstrong got two outs in the seventh inning before Kirkland earned his second career save with 2.1 scoreless innings to close out the contest.

The Seminoles scored a pair of runs against Aidan Tyrell in the third inning on Jaime Ferrer’s two-run double. Ferrer’s 58^th hit of the season scored DeAmez Ross and James Tibbs III, who both reached on walks.

After Estevan Moreno cut the lead in half with a solo home run in the fifth inning for the Irish, FSU and Notre Dame traded runs in the seventh inning. Colton Vincent singled to score Nander De Sedas in the top of the inning, while Moreno singled to score Brooks Coetzee in the bottom of the frame.

Due to weather, game two between the Seminoles and Fighting Irish will be played Saturday at 12:00 p.m. It will stream on ACC Network Extra.

OF NOTE:

• Jaime Ferrer hit a two-run double in the third inning to start the scoring. He leads FSU with 58 hits and 16 doubles; he is tied with James Tibbs with 34 RBI.
• Tibbs drew his team-high 32^nd walk of the season and scored on Ferrer’s double. He has 17 more walks than the next closest Seminole and also leads FSU with 44 runs scored.
• Jackson Baumeister struck out nine batters for the second straight game. He leads FSU with 75 on the season. He has also accounted for three of FSU’s four wins by a starting pitcher this season.
• Doug Kirkland earned his second career save Friday night, after earning his first in FSU’s last game Sunday against Virginia Tech. Kirkland did not allow a hit over the final 2.1 innings.
• McGwire Holbrook singled in his first at-bat, extending his hitting streak to a season-high seven games. It is the longest active streak on the team. Nander De Sedas singled and has a five-game hitting streak. Ferrer, Colton Vincent and DeAmez Ross have three-game hitting streaks.
• Jordan Carrion recorded his fourth sacrifice bunt, tied with De Sedas for the team high.
• Andrew Armstrong made his 25^th pitching appearance. He entered the weekend Top 10 nationally in pitching appearances. Doug Kirkland is now tied for second on the team with 19 appearances; Armstrong and Kirkland lead FSU with two saves apiece.
• FSU’s win snapped a 14-game road losing streak and a 12-game ACC road losing streak.

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