TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — The Florida State Seminole has made it the Sweet 16 in college D-1 Softball and will host Georgia in Tallahassee. FSU advanced to the next round with a dramatic win over South Carolina on Sunday in a one game winner take all games/
Florida State senior pitcher Kathryn Sandercock did not crack under the pressure.
With the Seminoles’ season on the line in the winner-take-all final game of the NCAA Tallahassee Regional Final against No. 2 seed South Carolina, Sandercock did not allow South Carolina to reach base as her perfect game led the No. 1 seed Seminoles to a 1-0 win at JoAnne Graf Field at the Seminole Softball Complex.
The final out of the game was a ground ball that was hit to second base, fielded by Devyn Flaherty and tossed to Bethaney Keen at first base to end the game.
After the final out, Sandercock was mobbed by her teammates near the pitching circle in celebration.
Florida State (53-9), the No. 3 national seed in the NCAA tournament, will host No. 14 seed Georgia (42-13) in a best-of-3 game super regional series beginning next weekend.
FSU athletics said Sandercock’s perfect game was the first single pitcher perfect game for FSU since the 2016 regular season and the first perfect game completed by FSU in the NCAA tournament in program history.
After Sunday’s regional championship game, Florida State said it has 15 perfect games in program history.
As for Sunday’s final game of the regional, FSU’s lone run occurred in the bottom of the third inning.
With a runner on second base, Jahni Kerr reached base on a bunt single, but a South Carolina throwing error on the play allowed FSU’s Josie Muffley to score on the play to give FSU a 1-0 lead.
That would be all the run support Sandercock would need as she retired all 21 South Carolina batters she faced to secure the seven-inning perfect game and no-hitter.
Sandercock also posted five strikeouts in the win. She was also efficient as 46 of the 59 pitches she threw were strikes.
Flaherty led FSU with two hits in the game.
FSU overcame losing to South Carolina 4-0 in the first game of the day.
The win early Sunday in the double elimination regional gave the visiting Gamecocks a chance to win the regional.
South Carolina (40-22) ends its season as the the SEC tournament runner-up.
The second game Sunday was delayed for a brief time just after 3 p.m. because of inclement weather.
