No. 6 Florida State softball (8-1) erupted for 11 early runs and held off a late UCLA ( 6-3 ) surge Saturday, securing its first win over a ranked opponent this season with an 11-7 victory over the Bruins on Day 3 of the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational.
The Seminoles overpowered the Bruins at the plate, scoring 11 straight runs across the first three innings. Jaysoni Beachum fueled the outburst with two home runs and an RBI single, finishing with a game-high five RBI.
Isa Torres added a solo shot in the second inning, and she, Beachum and Marin Heller each recorded three hits. Ashtyn Danley chipped in with two hits and matched Torres and Heller with two RBI.
Despite trailing 11-2, UCLA chipped away in the fourth inning with four runs and later added another to cut the deficit to 11-7. FSU went scoreless over the final three frames.
Jazzy Francik steadied the Seminoles in relief, entering for Bella Dimitrijevic after three innings. Francik allowed two runs on four hits over four innings and struck out four, including two in the seventh to lock down her fifth straight win in the circle. Dimitrijevic gave up five runs on five hits, including a first-inning home run.
FSU closes out the Clearwater Invitational on Sunday at noon in a matchup against No. 3 Tennessee (9-0). The game will air on ESPN2.
How to watch No. 6 FSU softball No. 3 Tennessee
Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: No. 6 FSU softball jumps ahead early, holds off No. 7 UCLA in Clearwater
Reporting by Peter Holland Jr., Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
