Hot bats lead FSU softball to win Tallahassee Regional, advances to Super Regional (2024)

All Florida State softball needed was one big inning, and the Tallahassee Regional was theirs.

With the game tied at three, the Seminoles produced seven runs off five hits, eventually clinching their home regional and advanced to the Super Regional with Sunday's 10-4 victory over the Auburn Tigers.

Having a takeover inning has been the common theme for the Seminoles all season long.

On Saturday against UCF, FSU scored five runs in the second inning, which carried through to the entire game. On Sunday, in the regional final, it happened in the sixth inning with the bases loaded against Auburn.

"I think it's just a testament to trusting the book of work you put in," FSU coach Lonni Alameda said after the game.

"If you really do a good job in staying in it and not letting the at-bat previously or the outs dictate your swings, and then you know you really give yourself a chance to hunt big innings."

FSU finished the night with 10 runs off 11 hits. Five FSU players finished the day with at least one RBI. Isa Torres cleared the bases with a three-run homer.

"For me, I would just say, just trying to get my teammates in," Torres explained. "T-Wil (Travis Wilson, assistant baseball coach) gave it a go, and I said if you either see the ball, and you hit it or you don't. So, I saw it very clearly. I swung, and good things happen when you swing.

"So, thanks to T-Wil for giving it a go, or else I wouldn't have done that."

Torres and Michaela Edenfield tied with three RBI. Edenfield set the tone in the top third with a three-run homer to capture FSU's first lead after trailing 2-0. Edenfield finished the day 2 for 2 at the plate.

"It was just going after pitch one and just bringing it," Edenfield said after the game. "At the beginning of the game, we were just talking about the energy at the UCF game and how we can get better every day, and that's how it's going to have to go out through the rest of the season.

"But what I'm looking the most forward to is see how everyone is so bought in. I think that's the mentality we took today and definitely you saw it at the end of the ballgame."

Both Edenfield and Torres credited Auburn's pitching staff, which was led by Shelby Lowe and Maddie Penta. Lowe pitched eight strikeouts in five innings.

"They are a great pitching staff, and we made the adjustments, and it just worked well for us," Torres said. "I think we just kept the pressure on in every single inning, and through that, we got some runs. So, it was good to come out with the win."

Penta, who's coming off a 200-pitching night against UCF on Saturday, took over for Lowe when they were loaded in the sixth inning. Auburn head coach Mickey Dean explained the pitching change and using Penta after the UCF game the night before.

"It was a more game-time decision," Dean said. "We have three pitchers loosening up, getting ready. And then, of course, they were switching out some lefties there and bringing in righties. I thought they did their jobs."

FSU pitcher Ashton Danley started, then finished the game for injured Allison Royalty

Ashtyn Danley started on the circle for the Seminoles. Allison Royalty took over for Danley after the second inning.

However, Royalty was not herself at the bottom of the fourth inning. According to Alameda, Royalty has been playing through an injury and has been day-to-day for over a month.

It was unclear how she sustained her injury. Royalty tried to battle through in her last pitch, but Alameda saw enough and made another pitching change.

Mimi Gooden briefly relieved the senior before Danley returned to finish the game.

"The plan was to sandwich a bit and mix some in and see if we could get some righties and lefties," Alameda said. "And so I think when you're facing day three, you have to be creative. I think we've been doing that all season, and the team understands that.

"But yeah, I'm super proud of Ashtyn."

FSU will head to Norman to face the Oklahoma Sooners in the best-of-three series next week. It is a rematch from last year's Women's Classic World Series.

Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: How a big hitting night advanced FSU softball to the NCAA Super Regional