The No. 7 FSU Seminoles beat the Iowa Hawkeyes 12-3 on Friday at JoAnne Graf Field. They improved to 2-0 on the season with the win, their first run-rule and walk-off win of the year.
FSU entered the bottom of the fifth inning leading 8-3 and in control, but made sure Iowa didn’t get another chance to put together a rally. Makenna Sturgis got it going with a one-out double before Marin Heller was hit to put two runners on with two outs. Jaysoni Beachum got ahead in the count 3-0, and the Hawkeyes elected to walk her.
Shelby McKenzie punished them for that decision, hitting a grand slam to left field to end the game. It was the first walk-off of her career and FSU’s first grand slam of the season.
Beachum and McKenzie hit FSU’s first two homers of the season in the win, combining to drive in eight of FSU’s nine earned runs. Beachum was a perfect 3 for 3 at the plate with a walk.
They took control of the game in the second innings, scoring four runs thanks to an error by Iowa. Angelee Bueno started it with a walk, but a fielder’s choice erased her for the second out of the inning. Isa Torres singled to get Makenna Sturgis into scoring position before Iowa misplayed a ball by Keller, allowing Sturgis to score and keep the inning going.
Beachum made them pay with a three-run homer to center field to make it a 5-0 game. It was FSU’s first homer of the season and her second hit of the game. They kept it going in the fourth as Ashtyn Danley led the inning off with a single before Anna Hinde doubled.
Hayley Griggs drew a walk to load the bases before back-to-back fielder’s choices made it a 6-0 game with two outs. Torres appeared to fly out to end the inning, but Iowa was unable to make the play, and two more runs scored, putting FSU up 8-0, thanks to six unearned runs.
Iowa’s only offense came in the fourth inning as Makenna Reid struggled in her first inning of work. A hit by pitch and a single put two runners on before a sacrifice bunt advanced them to scoring position, and a double drove them in. Another double made it an 8-3 game, but she ended the threat with a flyout.
Reid allowed three runs on three hits in two innings of work. Danley got the start and win for the Seminoles, allowing one hit in three scoreless innings with four strikeouts. She also went 2 for 3 at the plate.
The Seminoles will return to action on Saturday when they play a doubleheader against the Marshall Thundering Herd. The first game is set to start at 3 p.m. ET, with game two shortly after, both games will be streamed on the ACC Network Extra.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: FSU softball run-rules Iowa on walk-off grand slam
Reporting by JD McCarthy, FSU Wire / FSU Wire
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