The No. 10 Florida State softball team (21-4) defeated Coastal Carolina 17-11 in the series finale to secure the series sweep on Sunday afternoon at St. John Stadium.
Isa Torres went 3 for 4 with three runs scored and two RBI. Angelee Bueno had a career high four hits. Anna Hinde had a two-run homer and an RBI single.
The Seminoles got started right away as Isa Torres drew a leadoff walk in the top of the first, and Bella Ruggiero continued her hot streak with a RBI double to put the Noles up 1-0. After Kennedy Harp walked, Anna Hinde picked up her first hit of the afternoon with a single to third base to score Ruggiero to put the Seminoles up 2-0.
The Chanticleers (12-12) responded with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning, but the Noles got right back to work offensively in the top of the second. Hayley Griggs and Torres led off the inning with back-to-back singles, and Jaysoni Beachum hit a ground ball to third, and a wild throw allowed Griggs to score to give the Noles the lead. Torres came home on a wild pitch to put the Seminoles up 4-2, and Ruggiero picked up her second RBI of the day on a single to score Beachum to put the Seminoles up 5-2.
Coastal Carolina responded again with a big five-run inning to take a 7-5 lead. Makenna Reid and Jazzy Francik (9-1) came out of the Seminoles’ bullpen and shut down the Chanticleer offense with three consecutive scoreless innings.
After scoreless innings in the third and fourth innings, the Seminoles tied up the game in the top of the fifth as Ashtyn Danley led off the inning with a double, and Anna Hinde hit her fourth home run of the season to tie the game at seven. The Seminoles kept the bats hot as Marin Heller and Angelee Bueno hit back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second. Griggs moved the runners on a sac bunt, and Torres drove home Heller on a RBI single to give the Noles the lead. FSU added one more run as Beachum hit a fly ball deep enough to score Bueno to put the Noles up 9-7 lead.
Francik retired the Chanticleers in order in the fifth, and the Noles got back to work in the sixth inning as Danley once again started the rally with a single. Hinde walked, and Bueno hit a two-out double to bring two more runs to put the Seminoles up 11-7
Coastal Carolina was not done yet as they tied the game up at 11 in the bottom of the sixth, but Francik stranded runners at the corners to keep the game tied.
The Seminoles took no time to respond in the top of the seventh as Torres and Beachum hit back-to-back singles and moved to second and third on a wild pitch. Ruggiero and Harp both walked to give the Noles the lead, and Beachum came home on a wild pitch to put the Seminoles up two. Heller reached on a fielder’s choice to score Ruggiero, and Bueno picked up her career-high fourth hit of the day to bring home another run. Torres and Beachum drew back-to-back bases-loaded walks to put the Noles up 17-11.
Danley returned to the circle and kept the Chanticleers off the board and secure the win.
Up next
FSU will return home to play South Alabama on Wednesday at 8 p.m. before beginning ACC play against Syracuse next weekend at JoAnne Graf Field.
