Pitt softball falls to Florida State late in ACC Championship

After a surprising surge to the ACC Tournament Championship game, the Pitt softball team fell in the final game, losing to the top seeded Florida State Seminoles 6-2.

Florida State, the 10th ranked team in the nation, jumped out to a quick lead against Panther ace Savannah King, scoring unanswered runs in the first and second frames to a 2-0 advantage. The runs came via RBI singles by Alex Powers in the first and Victoria East in the second.

The Panthers responded to the early deficit though, as following a Seminoles error, Pitt freshman shortstop McKayla Taylor laced an RBI double to left field, scoring two to even up the score in the bottom of the third.

Florida State threatened in both the fourth and fifth innings, but Pitt was saved in both by heads-up defensive plays by junior third baseman Shelby Pickett.

In the bottom of the fourth with no outs, Pickett nabbed a grounder and tagged baserunner Bella D’Errico out at third, then firing to first to get East.

In the bottom of the fifth Pickett once again came to the rescue, snaring a line drive and tagging out Florida State’s Maddie O’Brien for an unassisted double play, helping freshman pitcher Kayla Harris escape a bases-loaded jam.

Pitt could only toe the line for so long, though, as things fell apart in the bottom of the sixth, as Harris walked the first two hitters of the half-inning before allowing a two-run single to pinch hitter Jessica Warren, giving the Seminoles the final lead of the game.

Florida State would score two more runs in the half-inning.

Jessica Burroughs would take the mound for the top-seeded Seminoles in the final frame, and retired the Panthers in order, securing the ACC Tournament championship for Florida State.

Pitt finished the season with a 35-20 record. The ACC Championship appearance was the first conference championship berth in program history.