NOTRE DAME, Ind. (Florida Sports Wire) – Bethaney Keen hit a blooper into left field, and Devyn Flaherty raced home from first in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Florida State softball team (50-8) their 19th ACC Championship with a 2-1 win over Duke Saturday afternoon at Melissa Cook Stadium in Notre Dame, Ind.
The Seminoles have won eight out of the last nine ACC Championships and swept the ACC Regular Season Championship and the ACC Tournament Championships for the 14th time. Kathryn Sandercock was named the ACC Tournament MVP, and Kalei Harding, Mack Leonard, Josie Muffley and Sandercock were all named to the ACC All-Tournament Team.
The top of the first inning started off with some fireworks as Josie Muffley made a diving catch for the first out of the game. The Blue Devils looked to have a home run with two outs, but Kaley Mudge reached her glove over the left field fence to keep the Blue Devils off the board.
Both pitchers and defenses shined, but the Seminoles struck first as Mudge hit a two-out single, and Jahni Kerr hit one into the gap to bring her home to give the Noles the lead. Sandercock kept the Blue Devils off the board in the third and fourth innings, but Duke tied it up off a passed ball in the fifth.
The Seminoles looked to be threatening in the bottom of the sixth as it appeared the Blue Devil third baseman had dropped a line drive, but Michaela was ruled out, and Jahni Kerr did not tag up and was also ruled out on the play.
Sandercock retired the Blue Devils in order in the top of the seventh, and the first two Noles were retired in the bottom of the seventh, but Flaherty reached on an infield single. Keen took the second pitch she saw to shallow left field, and it fell right in front of the left fielder. The fielder lost the ball on the exchange to allow Flaherty to score to clinch the ACC Championship.
