TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The University of South Alabama made it a one-run game, but No. 1 Florida State answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth to hold on and defeat the Jaguars 4-1 Wednesday night at Joanne Graf Field.

UP NEXT
- South Alabama (4-5) will return home to host the Mardi Gras Invitational at Jaguar Field. The Jaguars will open up play with two games on Friday, Feb. 22 versus Stephen F. Austin (2:30 p.m.) and No. 17 vs. Illinois (4:45 p.m.).

Date: 2/20
Place: Joanne Graf Field (Tallahassee, Fla.)

Final Score: No. 1 Florida State 4, South Alabama 1
Records: Florida State (11-0), South Alabama (4-5)

KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME
- After South Alabama had cut the deficit in half in the top of the sixth, the Seminoles answered with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame on a sacrifice fly by Anna Shelnutt and a RBI single off the bat of Zoe Casas. FSU then retired the Jags in order in the seventh to pick up the midweek win.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Brittani Reid and Kamdyn Kvistad recorded South's two hits in the contest – both doubles – while the latter also drove in the lone run for South Alabama.
- Cali Harrod reached all four of her plate appearances recording a triple and walking three times. Harrod also scored two of FSU's four runs.
- Caryson Gordon, Sydney Sherrill, Casas and Cassidy Davis each had a hit, while Davis recorded her second home run of the season.
- Gordon, Shelnutt, Davis and Casas each drove in a run apiece.
- FSU starter Kathryn Sandercock pitch three innings of no-hit ball before being lifted, while Meghan King (6-0) came in and picked up the win after tossing 3.1 innings. King allowed two hits and the lone run while also striking out five.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- FSU had its leadoff batter reach safely in five of its six innings.
- South had at least one runner reach each of the first two innings, leaving three aboard during that stretch, and five for the contest.
- The Seminoles left 11 runners aboard in the game.
- B. Reid's double to start the top of the sixth broke up the no hitter.
- FSU used three pitchers in the contest.

GAME FACTS
- After sitting the Jags down in order in the top half of the first, the Seminoles took the lead in bottom half with a run. Harrod tripled to the gap in right center to open things up. South should have had one out on the board the next batter, but Gordon stayed alive when a foul ball was dropped. On the very next pitch, Gordon lined the ball back up the middle, scoring Harrod (0-1).
- After another South Alabama error put runners at first and second with no outs, FSU threatened to increase its lead, but Samantha Yarbrough battled back and recorded a pair of fly outs and got Dani Morgan swinging to end the inning.
- South threatened to get on the board the next half inning as Katelyn Gruich was it by a pitch and a Dayla Gulledge fielder choice, but FSU's Sandercock induced three ground ball outs to end the inning.
- In its half of the second, Florida State extended its lead as Davis led off the frame with a solo shot over the centerfield wall. The Seminoles later loaded the bases with two away on three straight walks, but Yarbrough was able to get out of it as she sat down Shelnutt for her third strikeout of the contest.
- Both teams remained scoreless over the next three inning, but each would score in its half of the sixth.
- B. Reid roped a double down he leftfield line to start the top of the sixth and then came around two batters later on Kvistad's double off the wall in right (1-2). Gruich was hit by a pitch one batter later to place runners at first and second with one out, but King got a foul out to first and a strikeout to end the inning.
- FSU answered back in the bottom half of the inning and extended its lead back out to three. The Seminoles loaded the bases with no outs on a pair of two-out runs. Florida State loaded the bases on a pair of walks and a single by Sherrill. Shelnutt then plated the first run of the inning on a sacrifice fly to left, plating Morgan Noah (walk). Casas then lined a single through the right side of the infield to make it 4-1 Seminoles.
- King then sat the Jaguars down in order in the seventh to pick up the win.

NOTES
- Wednesday night's matchup marked the 11 in the all-time series versus Florida State and the 23rd versus a current Atlantic Coast Conference member.
- The game also marked the fifth time the Jaguars have faced the No. 1 ranked team and the first since taking on Florida on March 5, 2016 in Gainesville, Fla.
- With her hit-by-pitch in the second inning, Gruich moved into fifth-place all-time on South's career list in that category. She now has been hit by pitch 20 times in her Jaguar career.
- Gruich was later hit for the 21st time of her career, tying her with former Jags Christin Crocker (2009-12) and Amanda Minahan (2014-17) for third all-time in program history.
- The second-inning home run by FSU's Davis was the first allowed by Yarbrough this season in 19.0 innings of work to that point. It was also just the second allowed by Jaguar pitching this season in 55.0 innings.
- The home run for Davis was her second of the season and 20th of the year by the Seminoles.
- With her RBI double in the sixth, Kvistad extended both her hit and reached base safely streak to five.
- South Alabama had its streak of five straight games with a home run snapped versus FSU.

THEY SAID IT
Head coach Becky Clark
- On the game: "I didn't think we were really sped up [at the plate], we just weren't having quality at-bats the first three innings. I thought we were late against the starter [Sandercock] the entire time and I didn't think we made the adjustment. [FSU] brought [Meghan] King in and we got something going and were able to put a run up. I think here were some good places in there for us tonight, but you've got to play seven quality innings against a quality opponent."
- On the pitching: "We wanted to give Sam [Yarbrough] the start today against a quality opponent. She's got to figure out how to do that in those situations and on the road. Early in the season, she's going to have to do that for us, as well as throughout the year. I thought there was good moments and bad moments in there tonight. The walks toward the end I felt were because she kind of got out of compete mode and started trying to be careful. We brought Lex [Reid] in and I thought she did a good job until we walked the nine hole and the lead off to bring around the top of the order [in the sixth] which led to the big inning. That to me was the most disappointing thing tonight. We come in there and get a run and then we give up two."

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSout_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Join the Bullpen Club, the softball specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund.  Members have access to purchase parking passes and receive Jaguar Softball gear.  All donations to the Bullpen Club go directly to support the South Alabama softball program.  For more information on how you can join visit:  jaguarathleticfund.com/bullpenclub.

—USA—