The NC State softball team dropped a pair of games to No. 8 Florida State on Friday night in front of a sellout crowd and Dail Field. The Wolfpack fell 6-5 in a tightly contested game one, before the Seminoles cruised to a 10-1 game-two victory.
The usually reliable pitching combination of senior Emily Weiman and sophomore Courtney Mirabella fell prey to a dangerous Seminole lineup that pounded 16 runs and 19 hits over the two games. Mirabella took the loss in game one in relief of Weiman, who started both games and was the losing pitcher in game two.
Florida State started the scoring in game one with three unearned runs courtesy of a costly error committed by junior first baseman Maggie Hawkins. The error prevented Weiman from escaping a bases-loaded, no-out jam.
After the Seminoles added another run on an RBI groundout, the Wolfpack responded in a big way. The Wolfpack got on the scoreboard with a bases-loaded walk that set the table for senior shortstop Renada Davis unloaded on a pitch to deep left field for a grand slam that put the Wolfpack up 5-4.
The lead would not past the fifth, however, as Mirabella walked in two batters with the bases-loaded to give Florida State a 6-5 lead that they would not relinquish.
The Wolfpack started game two off right with an RBI single by sophomore left fielder Tyler Ross to centerfield that drove in junior third baseman Lana Van Dyke to give the Wolfpack a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
Weiman cruised through the first two innings, allowing only one hit while getting Seminole batter after batter to ground out to her infielders. However, the wheels would fall off in the third inning.
Seminole junior left fielder Alex Kossoff reached on a bunt single to lead off the inning and moved to second on a fielder’s choice before scoring on an RBI single to center field by freshman third baseman Jessica Warren.
Three batters later, sophomore first baseman Alex Powers ripped a double down the right field line, scoring freshman center fielder Morgan Klaevemann and junior catcher Macey Cheathem to give the Seminoles a 3-1 lead.
Weiman would escape the inning but would quickly find herself in trouble again in the top of the fourth as Florida State pushed the score to 4-1 when a Van Dyken throw from third soared over the first baseman’s head into right field.
On the very next pitch Seminole senior shortstop Maddie O’Brien crushed the Weiman offering well over the right field wall to give the Seminoles a 6-1 lead.
Florida State added another run in the inning and three more in the sixth to defeat the Wolfpack 10-1.
The loss drops the Wolfpack to 6-5 in ACC conference play with a chance to salvage the final game of the series tomorrow.