Florida vs. FSU Showdown - Another 1-0 Walk-Off Win

Florida vs. FSU Showdown - Another 1-0 Walk-Off Win

Florida vs. FSU Showdown - Another 1-0 Walk-Off Win

Apr 13, 2017 by James Caldwell
Florida vs. FSU Showdown - Another 1-0 Walk-Off Win
In the latest epic Sunshine State Showdown, No. 3 Florida beat No. 1 Florida State 1-0 in Gainesville on Wednesday night to end FSU's 24-game winning streak.

This game had tremendous buzz from opening pitch to walkoff hit played in front of a record crowd on Florida's home field.

The hero for the Gators was Kayli Kvistad, who singled in Justine McLean from second base for the first and only run of the game.

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The Gators pulled off the same result last year in Gainesville when they beat the Seminoles 1-0 on a walk-off home run by Aleshia Ocasio in the 11th inning.

It sure felt like this game was going to extra innings because of how well FSU starter Jessica Burroughs was pitching. But, Burroughs was pulled from the game with one out in the seventh inning.

Meghan King entered the circle for FSU and gave up a bunt single to McLean. She got a fielder's choice for the second out, but McClean moved up to second base.
With two outs, King walked Nicole DeWitt on a questionable fourth ball, bringing up Kvistad with runners on first and second.

King again appeared to be squeezed on her first pitch to Kvistad. Perhaps affected by consecutive close pitches called balls, she left a pitch over the middle to Kvistad, who smashed a single to right field. McClean came around to score, giving the Gators the walkoff 1-0 win.

What will make the result even more difficult for the Seminoles to accept is they squandered a big opportunity in the first inning.

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First Inning Key to Entire Game

This game was billed as a battle between outstanding pitchers Jessica Burroughs of FSU and Delanie Gourley of Florida. And, Florida State had a chance to land a knockout punch in the first inning.

The best hitting team in the country collected three first inning hits but zero runs. Morgan Klaevemann started the game with a single, but she was ruled out for leaving first base early at the same Alex Powers struck out swinging.

With the bases now empty, Jessica Warren doubled to left for FSU's second hit of the inning.

Ellie Cooper then smashed a single to left field, but Florida left fielder Amanda Lorenz threw out Warren at the plate with an amazing throw from the outfield. It perfectly captured Florida's superior defensive skills.

In sum, it was three hits, zero runs, and one missed opportunity for the Seminoles. The no. 2 team in the country only collected one more hit the entire game against Gourley and reliever Kelly Barnhill.

Meanwhile, the Gators started to threaten in the late innings.

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Sunshine State Rivalry Intensifies in Late Innings

In the bottom of the fifth, things got heated when Florida's DeWitt was hit by a pitch. It was an innocent changeup that got away from Burroughs, but it got everyone fired up in a 0-0 game between Top 5 teams.

Burroughs settled down after a wild pitch and got Kvistad to fly out to end the threat.

In the bottom of the sixth, Florida had another scoring opportunity. But, with a runner on third, Burroughs again induced a flyout to left field. The senior pitcher showed such resiliency and resolve in the face of a hostile crowd and a Gators lineup looking to break the 0-0 score.

After Florida State was unable to do anything against Barnhill in the top of the seventh, the Gators finally broke through against FSU's King.

If Burroughs remained in the game to finish the seventh, who knows how this game would have turned out. But, Kvistad made up for her fifth inning at-bat with a game winning single to give the Gators a huge non-conference win.

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Seminoles Will Seek Revenge in May

Florida's win over Florida State was eerily similar to last year's 1-0 result in Gainesville.

Florida scored 1 run on 4 hits in both games and FSU scored 0 runs on 4 hits in both games. And, of course, Florida won in walkoff fashion both years.

Now, FSU has to re-focus on ACC play after losing their 24-game winning streak. They also have an epic week of softball to get ready for in May.

The first week of May includes a home rematch against Florida on May 3 in Tallahassee. Then, FSU travels to Oregon to face the No. 4 and previously undefeated Ducks for a three-game series to end the regular season.

We fully expect the Seminoles' hitting to return after being shutout Wednesday night in Gainesville. It was one of those Top 5 showdowns that was going to come down to pitching, defense, and timely hitting.

The starting pitching battle between Gourley and Burroughs was a draw, Florida got the checkmark on defense, and the Gators had one more timely hit than the Seminoles. That was the difference in another epic Sunshine State Showdown.

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