Florida State Softball Advances to Regional Final with Dominant Win

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The No. 5 Florida State softball team triumphed over the University of South Florida (USF) with an impressive 8-0 victory in six innings on Saturday afternoon at JoAnne Graf Field. This win propels the Seminoles to their 12th consecutive regional final.

Sophomore pitcher Ashtyn Danley excelled in the circle, allowing just one hit over five innings. With this win, Danley improved her record to 13-1 and has not permitted an earned run in her last 12 innings, spanning five outings.

After a quiet first inning, the Seminoles got on the board in the second. Despite starting with two strikeouts, a hit by pitch put Amaya Ross at the plate. She immediately made an impact, launching a home run to dead center field—her fourth of the season.

The Seminoles kept the pressure on in the third inning. Ross and another teammate hit back-to-back singles to set up the scoring. A strategic groundout added another run, extending FSU’s lead to 4-0.

Florida State remained aggressive as the game progressed. In the fifth inning, Torres singled, followed by a walk to Kerr, then a single from Dack that scored Torres, making it 5-0.

Ross wasn’t done yet; she blasted her second home run in the sixth, marking her first career multi-home run game. Only three other players in FSU history have achieved this feat in the NCAA Tournament.

Continuing the offensive surge, the Noles maintained momentum as another player launched her first career home run, pushing the score to run-rule territory. In the sixth, Danley returned to the mound to close out the game strong, registering a couple of strikeouts.

Looking ahead, Florida State will face the winner of the previous game, Auburn, in the regional championship set for Sunday at noon.