FSU Advances To WCWS Championship Series For 1st Time In Program History
FSU Advances To WCWS Championship Series For 1st Time In Program History
Florida State advances to WCWS Championship series for the first time in program history over UCLA.
Florida State advanced to the Women’s College World Series championship for the first time in program history on Sunday after scoring the most runs in a single game at this year's tournament in Oklahoma City.
The Seminoles followed up a 3-1 win over UCLA in Game 1 of their semifinal with a 12-6 rout in Game 2 while staring down their sixth elimination game of the 2018 NCAA postseason.
FSU was booted into the loser’s back by the Bruins on Thursday but responded by knocking off Georgia and Oregon out of the WCWS on Saturday before facing UCLA once again a day later. UCLA only needed to win one game to advance but Florida State had to win two to go on to face UW.
In Game 1, the Seminoles were down by one run going into the sixth inning when Elizabeth Mason cranked a three-run home run off of Player of the Year Rachel Garcia to put FSU up 3-1. The Bruins did not recover after Mason’s home run and the 'Noles forced Game 2.
THREE-RUN HOME RUN SEMINOLES!
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) June 3, 2018
Elizabeth Mason goes YARD in the bottom of the 6th to give @FSU_Softball the lead! #WCWS pic.twitter.com/71Dq3OktUa
Florida State would not be denied in its second matchup of the day, putting 12 runs on the board with four home runs out of 10 hits.
FSU piled on four runs in the second inning when Cali Harrod and Jessie Warren both went deep. Warren’s home run off of Garcia marked her 82nd career home run.
THE SEMINOLES STRIKE FIRST!!!
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) June 3, 2018
Cali Harrod BLASTS it over the fence pushing @FSU_Softball to a 1-0 lead over UCLA! #WCWS pic.twitter.com/7PqdeNGYSI
The NOLES are ???
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) June 3, 2018
Jessie Warren goes YARD to extend the lead 4-0! #WCWS pic.twitter.com/Vueve6ntUG
The Bruins responded in the bottom of the second when Taylor Pack blasted a two-run shot of Kylee Hanson to cut the lead in half.
UCLA CUTS THE LEAD IN HALF!!
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) June 3, 2018
Taylor Pack hits a two-run home run to get @UCLASoftball on the board, 4-2! #WCWS pic.twitter.com/aXYWmMzCqZ
Holly Acevedo entered the game for Garcia in the circle and Sydney Sherrill launched a three-run home run to extend the Noles' lead to 7-2.
The Bruins scrapped back, adding two runs on the board thanks to a two-RBI single by Pack bring UCLA within three.
OH NO SHE DIDN'T!!! CARSYN. GORDON.
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) June 4, 2018
Make that FOUR homers for @FSU_Softball against UCLA! #WCWS pic.twitter.com/ucFEjXtDAc
In the top of the fifth inning, Carsyn Gordon blasted the fourth home run of the day—a three-run shot to left field.
OH NO SHE DIDN'T!!! CARSYN. GORDON.
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) June 4, 2018
Make that FOUR homers for @FSU_Softball against UCLA! #WCWS pic.twitter.com/ucFEjXtDAc
The Bruins were in jeopardy of the mercy rule in the bottom of the fifth, but Brianna Perez would have none of that as she stroked a solo shot over the right-field fence to keep UCLA's hopes alive.
NOT DONE YET!@UCLAsoftball's Briana Perez blasts a solo shot! #WCWS pic.twitter.com/jFSdafvpQ5
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) June 4, 2018
Bubba Nickles added another run to the board, blasting a solo shot to left center to cut the lead in half, 12-6, but it wouldn't be enough.
UCLA is looking to RALLY!
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) June 4, 2018
Bubba Nickles hits it DEEP into left field to close the gap 12-6 against the Noles! #WCWS pic.twitter.com/spcPWSwTOs
Meghan King goes in for relief for Kylee Hanson in the final inning to seal the win for the Seminoles.
FSU will face Washington in a best-of-three series starting Monday at 6 PM ET. Game 2 takes place Tuesday at 8 PM, and the third game (if necessary) will start at 8:30 PM on Wednesday.