TALLAHASSEE — No. 2 national seed Florida State will face No. 2 regional seed Mississippi State on Sunday at 2 p.m. (ACC Network) in the Tallahassee Regional Championship. FSU needs one victory on the day to advance to next weekend’s NCAA Super Regional round. The Bulldogs would need to win the first game and force a winner-take-all second game later in the day at 4:30 p.m., if they have hopes of advancing.
FSU (54-5) advanced to the Tallahassee Regional Championship with a pair of run-rule victories over Howard (8-0, 5 innings) and USF (8-0, 5 innings) over the past two days. Over 10 innings, FSU has allowed just one hit. Nobody has thrown more than five innings for the Seminoles over the two days and the ace of the staff, Kathryn Sandercock, threw just four innings (45 pitches) on Saturday afternoon, while Danielle Watson threw a five-inning no-hitter on Friday evening that took just 53 pitches.
Mississippi State (35-25) has had to work harder to reach Sunday’s regional finale. They lost their opening game of the Tallahassee Regional, 4-0, to USF on Friday. On Saturday, they had to win back-to-back games to avoid elimination. They defeated Howard, 6-3, and USF, 6-0. The second game ended late in the evening. Mississippi State starters Aspen Wesley (8-7) has thrown eight innings (106 pitches) on the weekend, while Annie Willis (8-8) has thrown 11 innings (171 pitches). Kenley Hawk has also seen work in the circle this weekend.
The Bulldogs are led at the plate by Mia Davidson (.377, 11 2B, 21 HR, 43 RBI), Paige Cook (.319, 8 2B, 8 HR, 41 RBI), and Matalasi Faapito (.239, 13 HR, 38 RBI). They are not an active team on the base paths, with just 27 steals in 34 attempts.
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– Mississippi State defeats FSU, 5-0, forcing a winner-take-all final game in the Tallahassee Regional.
– FSU 0, MSU 5 – Top of the 7th: FSU goes down in order in the top half of the seventh inning.
– FSU 0, MSU 5 – Bottom of the 6th: Mississippi State, aided by an error on a sacrifice bunt, brings home another run on a single to left. Emma Wilson then issued back-to-back walks, with the second resulting in an RBI for the Bulldogs. A sacrifice fly scratched another run across.
– FSU 0, MSU 2 – Top of the 6th: Sydney Sherrill works a leadoff walk, but nothing comes of it.
– FSU 0, MSU 2 – Bottom of the 5th: Emma Wilson in the circle for the Seminoles to start the frame. Wilson walks one, but a double play ends the inning.
– FSU 0, MSU 2 – Top of the 5th: MSU has retired seven straight Seminoles.
– FSU 0, MSU 2 – Bottom of the 4th: Sandercock gets three groundouts for a quick half-inning.
– FSU 0, MSU 2 – Top of the 4th: FSU goes down in order in the top half of the fourth inning.
– FSU 0, MSU 2 – Bottom of the 3rd: Paige Cook drives in an RBI on a groundout.
– FSU 0, MSU 1 – Bottom of the 3rd: Mia Davidson solo shot gets the Bulldogs on the board.
– FSU 0, MSU 0 – Top of the 3rd: FSU gets runners on the corner, due in part to miscues by Mississippi State, but they are stranded as Mack Leonard grounds out to the pitcher.
– FSU 0, MSU 0 – Bottom of the 2nd: Kathryn Sandercock works around a single for a relatively quick inning.
– FSU 0, MSU 0 – Top of the 2nd: Jahni Kerr hit a one-out double, but was stranded at second base.
– FSU 0, MSU 0 – Bottom of the 1st: A walk and an error put two on for the Bulldogs, but they were stranded.
– FSU 0, MSU 0 – Top of the 1st: Sydney Sherrill reached via error, but nothing else going for the Seminoles in the top half of the first inning.
– Aspen Wesley will start in the circle for Mississippi State.
– FSU Starting Lineup
1. LF Kaley Mudge
2. 3B Sydney Sherrill
3. RF Kalei Harding
4. 1B Mack Leonard
5. 2B Devyn Flaherty
6. CF Jahni Kerr
7. C Michaela Edenfield
8. DP Chloe Culp
9. SS Josie Muffley
– Kathryn Sandercock (30-1) will start in the circle for FSU.
