Late-Inning Rally Falls Short in 6-4 Loss at Third-Ranked Florida State

Friday, May 5

Tallahassee, FL

6:00 PM

University of Louisville

35-15, 0

Florida State

45-8, 0

Louisville

Florida State

Late-Inning Rally Falls Short in 6-4 Loss at Third-Ranked Florida State

May 05, 2023 | Softball

Box Score

Cards load the bases with the tying run in scoring position in the seventh, but fall short 6-4 in series opener

By: Lori Harmon

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The University of Louisville softball team staged a late-inning rally, but fell short in a 6-4 loss to third-ranked Florida State Friday evening at JoAnne Graf Stadium.

Throughout the game, the Cardinals countered Florida State's offense and and loaded the bases in the seventh with the tying run in scoring position and the go-ahead run on first, but the Seminoles (45-8, 20-2 ACC) prevailed to clinch their second straight ACC regular season title.

Easton Lotus went 2-for-4 with an RBI single in the seventh and Sarah Gordon delivered a two-run home run to help lead Louisville at the plate.

The teams played through two scoreless innings before Florida State capitalized on three hits and two errors to take a 2-0 lead.

The Cardinals answered in the top of the fourth behind freshman Sarah Gordon's two run homer. Taylor Roby got the frame started with a single and was lifted for pinch runner Vanessa Miller to set up Gordon who sent a shot over the left field fence for her 10^th longball of the season.

The Seminoles used three straight hits to get a run back and regain the lead in the home half of the fourth and added another run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth to pull ahead 4-2.

Louisville pulled within a run the top of the sixth. Korbe Otis opened the inning with an infield hit and crossed the plate following an error on a single by Lotus. A groundout by Gordon moved Lotus into scoring position with two outs, but she was stranded there with the Cards trailing 4-3.

The bottom of the sixth saw Florida State tack on two more runs, extending its lead to 6-3.

The Cards continued to chip away at the lead in the top of the seventh when walks to Hannah File, Makayla Hurst and Otis loaded the bases with two outs. Lotus stepped up to the plate and sent a hit up the middle to bring home File and keep the bases loaded, but FSU starting pitcher Kathryn Sandercock re-entered the circle and delivered a strikeout to end the game.

Alyssa Zabala (14-7) took the loss, surrendering two earned runs on four hits with a strikeout in 1.1 innings of relief.

Sandercock (19-2) picked up the win, allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits and striking out two in 5.1 innings. Michaela Edenfield went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs to lead the Seminoles at the plate.

The teams will meet again on Saturday at 2 p.m. in an ACC Network-televised game.

NOTES:
• Friday's loss snapped Louisville's season-high nine-game win streak which started on April 16.
• Roby extends her hitting streak to 10 games and has reached base safely via a hit or walk in the last 15 games.
• Lotus is now on a seven-game hitting streak and has reached safely in 10 straight games.
• Otis adds another run to her ACC-leading season total (60). She is now in sole possession of third place on Louisville's single-season list and needs two more to tie Katie Keller (2013) for third. Melissa Roth owns the record with 64 runs in the 2009 season.