The No. 12 Florida State (39-7) softball team returned home after a bitter west coast road trip where the Seminoles were swept by Stanford.

FSU welcomed North Carolina for another ACC weekend series, knocking off the Tar Heels 8-4 on Friday, 6-1 on Saturday and then completed the sweep on Sunday with a run-rule 10-2 victory.

The emergence of junior outfielder/pitcher Ashtyn Danley was evident during the series as she racked up impressive stats at the plate and in the circle. Danley finished the series with 3.2 innings pitched and five strikeouts while also contributing five hits, eight RBI and two home runs.

One of those home runs came on Sunday in the fourth inning and Danley slapped a two-run single to end the game in the fifth inning.

“Coming back from Stanford our whole team put in the work,” Danley said. “Everyone was there for each other, really good conversations in the classroom and trusting our training and seeing our whole team stay in it really motivates you. And if I wasn’t going to get it done, someone else is going to get it done.”

Pitcher Makenna Reid and catcher Madi Frey were the two seniors honored this weekend and it really does show the youth of the 2026 softball team.

For fans of Florida State softball, Reid had a promising start to her career and was destined to be the next great Seminole pitcher for coach Lonni Alameda, but life had other plans. Reid was sidelined by injuries after her freshman season and never quite regained her form for the rest of her career.

In the world of the transfer portal and NIL, it is a testament to Reid for staying with Alameda and FSU for all four years instead of transferring when things got tough. Alameda has built a culture that goes beyond the transfer portal or NIL opportunities.

“What lights my fire as a coach is the transformational side of this game,” Alameda said. “I just get really excited about Makenna’s ability to connect with people now. Makenna battled back from the injury and spent a lot of time in the training room, a lot of time during the summer when she could be doing something else, she stayed here to get healthy."
 
Getting swept by Stanford was unfortunate for this team, but coming home and sweeping an ACC opponent still puts FSU in prime position to finish well in the regular season, ACC tournament and the NCAA tournament. The emergence of Danley as a legitimate threat at the plate and in the circle could add another dynamic to a team that is littered with talent like Kennedy Harp, Isa Torres and Jaysoni Beachum.

Up next

The Seminoles welcome their bitter rival in No. 7 Florida for a midweek clash at JoAnne Graf Field on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

“Wednesday is a big opportunity for us to have our freshman in a rivalry game for the first time, a big opportunity to play a high-level SEC team,” Alameda said. “For these freshmen to see what this place and environment is like, and I know that a lot of people show up to these games, and it’s Florida and Florida State, and they may never come to a softball game, but they’re going to come to that one."

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