NORMAN, Okla. — There was no question about the fight and grit in the Florida State softball team on Friday night as the Seminoles gave the No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners everything they could want in a 4-2 loss that ended the Seminoles’ season in front of a sold-out crowd in Norman, Okla.
With a depleted pitching staff, the Seminoles used Ashtyn Danley, Makenna Reid and Mimi Gooden to keep the nation’s top offense in check for most of the night.
The Sooners loaded the bases with one out in the top of the first, but Danley forced a pop-up and a groundout to get out of the inning. Reid made her return from injury and pitched in her first game since Apr. 21 and did not miss a beat as she sat down the Sooners in order in the top of the second.
The Seminoles had their first scoring chance of the game in the bottom of the second as an error, a walk and an infield single loaded the bases for the ‘Noles with two outs, but they were unable to bring a run across.
OU scored the run’s first game on a double steal, but the Seminoles responded right back as Jaysoni Beachum belted her 16th home run of the season over the left-field fence to tie the game. Beachum ended her freshman campaign as the Florida State freshman record holder for batting average, RBI and on-base percentage.
Beachum’s 16 home runs were the second-most by an FSU freshman, and her 78 hits are the fifth-most by an FSU freshman.
The Sooners used a three-run fifth inning to take a 4-1 lead, but the Seminoles looked to take the air out of the stadium as Beachum drilled a deep shot to center field. But the Sooners robbed Beachum of her multi-home run game with a leaping grab over the fence.
Kalei Harding then sent an absolute rocket out of Love’s Stadium to cut the lead to two. Harding ends her career as one of the most prolific hitters in school history. She has the second-most career doubles in school history, third-most career home runs, fourth-most career RBI and the eighth-best career slugging percentage.
Danley put up back-to-back zeros on the board for Florida State to stay within striking distance, but the Seminoles were unable to bring any runs across in the final two innings.
Autumn Belviy, Devyn Flaherty, Kalei Harding, Kaley Mudge, Allison Royalty and Emma WIlson all played their final games in the Garnet and Gold and will go down as one of the greatest classes in school history.
The senior class won 207 games in four seasons, which is the second-most by any senior class since 2000. The group won two ACC Tournament Championships, one ACC regular-season championship, made two Women’s College World Series and made the Championship Series in both appearances.
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