Torres, Danley lead FSU to 3-1 over rival Gators

Energy filled every corner of JoAnne Graf Field on Wednesday, April 22 as No. 13 Florida State softball faced off against the No. 8 University of Florida Gators. A crowd of 1,738 packed the stands, alongside the Marching Chiefs and a strong contingent of rival fans to watch the Seminoles take down their rival 3-1.

Fresh off of an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) sweep over the University of North Carolina, FSU entered the in-state rivalry with a 39-7 record. The victory over the Gators marked the final regular-season home game of the season for the 'Noles, who are now 196-29 at JoAnn Graf Field since 2019.

“I think for our program what we learned out there in the west coast and how we need to get together and stay together and compete against quality teams pitch by pitch—that was tonight and that's just a great feeling, we’ve raised the bar as a program right now,” head coach Lonni Alameda said in the postgame press conference.

'Noles and Gators kick game off with leadoff home runs

The rivalry game began with fireworks, as both teams launched lead off home runs in the first inning. Junior shortstop Isa Torres sent a solo shot over the right-field wall, her sixth leadoff home run of the season. She went on to homer again in her second at bat, finishing 2-for-4 at the plate and accounting for two of the three runs scored by the Garnet and Gold.

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“Doesn’t get any better, it’s a great day to be a Seminole,” Torres said in her postgame press conference. “Very good pitchers, very good hitters, so the fact that we came out with the win is awesome, super proud of my team, and yeah we just worked all week for this.”

Pitching from Danley and Francik pairs with strong defense to power Seminoles

Junior pitcher and outfielder Ashtyn Danley also played a key role across the field, showcasing her versatility both at the plate and in the field. She started in left field before moving into the circle for the final four innings in relief, all while staying in the lineup to hit. Danley struck out two Gators and earned the win, moving her to 9–1 on the season and 41-9 in her career.

Strong pitching by Danley and sophomore Jazzy Francik was backed by equally sharp defense, as Florida State turned two double plays and did not commit an error. In the sixth inning, junior third baseman Jaysoni Beachum fully extended to snag a line drive, followed immediately by freshman second baseman Marin Heller robbing another hard-hit liner.