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Softball
Top-ranked FSU Takes Softball Series Opener
March 24, 2017
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – No. 1 Florida State (30-1-1, 10-0 ACC) did all of its damage in three separate rallies, capturing a 13-1 victory over Virginia (11-18, 2-8 ACC) in the Atlantic Coast Conference series opener.
Single-inning outbursts of three, six and four runs paced one of the nation’s top offenses to its 30th victory of the season. In the circle, Jessica Burroughs kept the Cavaliers off balance with four innings of one-run softball. She struck out seven batters and earned her 15th win of the season.
After being kept scoreless in its first at bat, Florida State plated three runs in the top of the second on four hits. The Seminoles broke the game open in the third with six runs highlighted by a two-run home run by Sydney Broderick and a two-out, three-run Virginia error made the score 9-0.
The Cavalier offense strung together seven hits against Burroughs, one of the country’s top pitchers. Senior Madison Labshere (El Cajon, Calif.) went 2-of-2 with her fifth double of the season. She came around to score Virginia’s only run in the bottom of the third on Katie Park’s (Scottsdale, Ariz.) RBI single. Park also collected two hits and now has 13 RBIs on the season.
Sophomore Lacy Smith (Lancaster, Pa.) pitched the final two innings and struck out three batters.
The series against No. 1 FSU will continue Saturday (March 25) at The Park. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. The game will also serve as the team’s StrikeOut Cancer game and the first 125 fans will receive a free t-shirt.
Additional Notes
-FSU had the lead-off runner on in all five innings.
-FSU stole five bases, the most by any Virginia opponent this season.
-Kaitlin Fitzgerald (Placentia, Calif.) collected her sixth double of the season in the second inning
-The six-run third inning (three unearned) was the fourth time an opponent has scored 5+ in an inning
-15 hits are the second most (16 twice, Va Tech/Towson) by an opponent this season