No. 2 FSU Secures Final ACC Series, 8-1

Saturday, April 29

Tallahassee, Fla.

1:00 PM

North Carolina

36-17, 14-8

Florida State

46-3-1, 23-0

North Carolina

Florida State

April 29, 2017 | Softball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: UNC Athletic Communications

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
North Carolina (36-7, 14-8)	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	1
#2 Florida State (46-3-1, 23-0)	1	0	1	1	0	5	-	8	9	2

Tallahassee, Fla. – The first Tar Heel batter of the game singled and scored, but No. 2 Florida State took game two of the series, 8-1, with the help of a five-run bottom of the sixth. The win lifts the Seminoles to 46-31-1 (23-0 ACC), while UNC drops to 36-17 (14-8 ACC).

Sophomore Leah Murray singled in the top of the first and scored on a sacrifice fly by Taylor Wike. Berlynne Delamora had UNC's only other hit of the game, a seventh-inning single, and Brittany Pickett extended her reached-base streak to 18 straight games with a walk in the fifth.

The Tar Heels used a trio of pitchers in the game kicked off by Kellyn Daly in her first start in the circle since opening weekend. The freshman pitched the first two innings and got the final out of the sixth, allowing one run on three hits and a walk with a strikeout. Sydney Matzko (3-6) went the third and fourth innings, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks, then Hannah Nommensen was on the hook for five runs, four earned, on three hits, three walks and a strikeout over 1.2 innings.

Meghan King (23-1) followed Friday night's one-hitter by limiting Carolina to one unearned run on two hits and a walk with three Ks over 6.1 innings. Cassidy Davis came in with one out in the seventh and got the only batter she faced to ground into a double play.

Junior Jessica Warren led the game by going 3-for-4 with an RBI single and two solo home runs. Her first long ball of the game made her Florida State's all-time home run leader, finishing the day with 57 homers in less than three seasons.

Murray led off the game with a bunt single, then made it all the way to third base on a throwing error. Wike took advantage, driving her home with a sacrifice fly to center for a quick 1-0 lead.

Jessica Warren tied the score with one swing in the bottom of the first, sending a line drive just over the wall in left for her FSU-record 56th career home run.

Matzko came in to start the third, but issued a walk and a single up the middle to put runners on the corners with one out. Dani Morgan fouled the first pitch off her leg and went to the bench, and pinch hitter Korina Rosario got the job done in her stead, giving the Seminoles a 2-1 lead on a sac fly. Carsyn Gordon looked to add more, but a fantastic diving catch by Wike at short ended the inning, stranding two.

Matzko hit the leadoff batter with a pitch in the fourth inning, and a two-out RBI single by Warren made it 3-1 FSU.

Nommensen pitched a scoreless fifth inning then got the first two outs of the sixth, before Warren and Alex Powers hit back-to-back solo home runs to double the Seminoles' lead, 5-1. A single and two walks loaded the bases, as UNC went to the bullpen and brought back Daly. Gordon ripped a bases-loaded single up the middle, and an error by Destiny DeBerry allowed all three baserunners to score to make it 8-1 Florida State heading into the final half inning.

Delamora led off the top of the seventh with a single to right, then King drew a foul pop up for the first out. Davis entered the circle, and Katelyn Shifflett grounded a ball up the middle. Shortstop Cali Harrod made a fantastic diving stop, flipped the ball to second with her glove hand, and Ellie Cooper turned the double play to end the game by a final score of 8-1.

North Carolina has one last chance to spoil No. 2 Florida State's perfect ACC season when the conference's top-two teams return to JoAnne Graf Field on Sunday, April 30, in UNC's regular-season finale. First pitch is slated for Noon.