The Sports Inquirer

Release from Florida State Athletics:

Scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, the No. 9/10 Florida State softball team (45-12) secured a 6-2 win over Pitt (35-20) in the 2015 ACC Championship game on May 9 at Tech Softball Park. It marks the 13th conference championship in Florida State history and the second title in a row.

Jessica Burroughs pitched 4.2 scoreless innings of relief, while Jessica Warren had a pinch-hit two-RBI single in the sixth inning to give the Seminoles the lead for good. Burroughs was named the 2015 ACC Championship Most Valuable Player, and was joined on the ACC All-Tournament Team by Warren, Bailey Schinella, Alex Powers and Victoria Daddis.

“This is huge for us,” said FSU head coach Lonni Alameda. “All season we’ve been fighting to find our identity, often living in the shadow of last year. But what a great job of our upperclassmen of being the consistent example of who we need to be.

“Amazing job from Lacey to be a mentor to Jessica, and from Jessica for working her tail off to be here for the team at this time. For us, going into postseason, this is huge to have two wins where we needed late rallies to take the lead.”

The Seminoles opened the scoring with an RBI single from Powers to make it 1-0 FSU after the first inning. She scored Morgan Klaevemann, who had hit a single to left to leadoff the game. Klaevemann has now hit safely in 23 consecutive games, dating back to March 25.

Florida State scored in the first inning for the 20th time this season and are an undefeated, 20-0, in those games.

FSU added another run in the second inning as Alex Kossoff led off with a triple to the wall in right center. She came in to score a batter later as Victoria East knocked an RBI single through the right side of the infield to extend FSU’s lead to 2-0 after two innings.

Pitt got on the board in the third inning, sparked by a base hit by Maggie Sevilla and a throwing error by FSU starter Lacey Waldrop to allow runners to get to second and third with one out in the inning. McKayla Taylor stepped in and tied the game at 2-2 with a double to left field.

Burroughs entered the game to relieve Waldrop in the circle. Waldrop finished with 2.1 innings pitched and allowed two runs, one earned on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Burroughs got out of the inning without any further damage by inducing two pop outs to foul territory.

FSU threatened in the fourth inning after a leadoff walk by Daddis. Bella D’Errico came on to pinch run and quickly stole second base. She ended up on third on the play as the throw from Pitt catcher Kathryn Duran sailed wide. After a walk to Kossoff, East grounded to third base and Pitt’s Shelby Pickett tagged D’Errico and fired to first base for the inning-ending double play.

Pitt starter Savannah King was replaced in the circle going into the bottom of the fifth inning. The senior tossed 4.0 innings and gave up two runs on four hits with three walks and one strikeout. Kayla Harris entered the game to pitch for the Panthers.

The Seminoles looked to take advantage of Harris as they loaded the bases on three consecutive one-out walks to Maddie O’Brien, Schinella and Powers. However, a line out to third by Ellie Cooper allowed O’Brien to be doubled off the bag to end the inning.

The FSU sixth inning started with leadoff walks to Daddis and Kossoff. Warren, who had not played since the Boston College game on May 7 due to a lower leg injury, pinch-hit for East and drove a single to the wall in right center, easily scoring Daddis and Kossoff to give the Seminoles a 4-2 lead.

East re-entered at first for Warren and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Macey Cheatham. Klaevemann followed with her second hit of the game to left field that got past the fielder to score East and allow her to end up on third base. O’Brien made it 6-4 a batter later on a sacrifice fly to center.

Burroughs (16-5) closed out the game in the circle, retiring the last nine batters she faced, to earn the victory in relief. She allowed just one hit over 4.2 shutout innings and recorded six strikeouts without giving up a walk.