Florida and Florida State met in their second No. 1 versus No. 2 matchup of the season on Wednesday night, but this time it was the second-ranked Seminoles who left their home field with a walk-off win. Alex Powers' extra-innings blast off UF's Kelly Barnhill not only lifted FSU to a 3-1 victory but also secured Florida State's first win over its top-ranked in-state rival since 2014.

Last month, UF got the walk-off win, 1-0, on its home field, leaving this year's Sunshine Showdown even at one game apiece. Unless... these two teams meet again in the postseason.

In a game that went 11 innings on Wednesday night, FSU finally broke through with a walk-off two-run homer from Powers against Barnhill, a Pitcher of the Year candidate.

The bottom of the 11th started with Korina Rosario, who was down 1-2 in the count after two earlier strikeouts, delivering a clutch triple down the right field line.

Barnhill then collected the first out of the inning via bunt pop-out, which brought Powers to the plate. Powers, who was seeing Barnhill for the fifth time, hit a perfectly timed blast to right field to send the Seminoles and their fans into pandemonium.

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Kelly Barnhill: Unbelievable -- Except For Two Mistakes

Way back in the first inning of this game, Florida struck first with one run against FSU senior leader Jessica Burroughs. And, with Barnhill in the circle, Gators fans were probably thinking that could be enough to win the game.

In the bottom of the first, however, Barnhill made an uncharacteristic mistake and left a rise ball right in the wheelhouse of FSU's Jessica Warren, who blasted it to left field her 20th home run of the season.

Warren, who became FSU's all-time home run leader over the weekend, was not going to miss an opportunity to hit the "unhittable" Barnhill.

Before that at-bat, Barnhill had not allowed a home run all season, prompting her to just laugh it off with her teammates. She then dominated for the next nine innings as the game remained tied 1-1.

Then, the 11th inning happened. Barnhill had not allowed a triple all season, either, but she allowed a triple and another home run for FSU to get the win.

It's unfathomable to see Barnhill allow that much offense in one game, but FSU is one of the best hitting teams in the country. Coming into the game, Barnhill had only allowed three earned runs the entire season, which FSU doubled with two swings of the bat.

And, unfortunately for Barnhill, the rest of her night will be overlooked. She registered 21 strikeouts, threw 138 pitches, and did not walk a single batter. But, FSU finally broke through.

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How Significant Was This Win For Florida State?

To put this win into perspective, FSU had not beaten Florida on its home field in 11 years.

The last time the Seminoles beat the Gators at home was April 2006, and Florida had won 17 of the previous 18 meetings during this rivalry -- with the last FSU win occurring in Gainesville in 2014.

Florida State also had something to prove this season. The Seminoles have struggled against elite teams outside of ACC play, including losing 1-0 against Florida in April.

So, this result was huge for the Seminoles. It also preserved a perfect home record in front of a record crowd of about 2,500 in Tallahassee.



FSU finished the regular season undefeated (25-0) at home. The Seminoles now travel to Oregon this weekend to face another elite non-conference opponent on the road. Can FSU carry over momentum from this huge victory as it tries to send a message to the rest of the country that it is a legit WCWS contender?

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Meanwhile, Florida has to regroup. The previously invincible Barnhill just gave up two home runs. And don't forget about this item: UF is on a two-game losing streak after dropping the final game of its weekend series against Tennessee.

Fortunately, the Gators will be able to ease into the SEC Tournament with home games against North Texas and Florida A&M to close the regular season. We fully expect Barnhill to be back to her Pitcher of the Year form entering the conference tourney.

Now the question is whether we will see Florida and FSU meet again in the postseason.

Related:
Alex Powers Is Swinging For Florida State's First NCAA Softball Title