Seminoles Force A Game 9 For ACC Softball Championship
Florida State softball beats Virginia, 3-1.
No. 3 seeded Florida State forced game nine of the ACC Softball Championships Monday afternoon with a 3-1 win over the fourth seeded Virginia Cavaliers at the FSU Softball Complex.

No. 3 seeded Florida State forced game nine of the ACC Softball Championships Monday afternoon with a 3-1 win over the fourth seeded Virginia Cavaliers at the FSU Softball Complex.

May. 1, 2000

2000 Atlantic Coast Conference Softball Championships

GAME EIGHT

Florida State 3, Virginia 1

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - No. 3 seeded Florida State forced game nine of the ACC Softball Championships Monday afternoon with a 3-1 win over the fourth seeded Virginia Cavaliers at the FSU Softball Complex. Florida State improves to 43-25 with Virginia dropping to 27-35.

Both teams got an early start in game eight with the Lady Seminole scoring two and the Cavaliers scoring one in the first inning. Junior Serita Brooks started things off for FSU when she beat out a bunt for a single. Sophomore Kimmy Carter reached on bunt, moving Brooks to second when Cavalier second-baseman overthrew third base into wide right field, scoring both Brooks and Carter. Virginia cut the lead in half with junior Meaghan Young's double to center field and freshman Ruby Rojas single to left field to drive in Young. But the Lady Seminoles added one more in the fourth off a single to left field. Senior Becky Wallace drove a single between the Cavalier third-baseman and shortstop to score freshman Brandi Stuart, who reached first on a base on balls.

Sophomore Leslie Malerich relieved junior Jen White-Stokes in the fourth inning with bases loaded and one out. Malerich struck out her first batter after a 3-2 count and Stuart got the third out off an unassisted tag to get the Lady Seminoles out of a tough inning. Florida State held the Cavaliers for six innings, notching the 3-1 win and forcing game nine of the tournament for the championship. Brooks led the team, going 3-4 from the plate and scoring one run with Wallace going 1-2 with a single RBI. Junior Staci Brandon added two hits with Carter adding one. White-Stokes went three and a third innings, giving up the single run and a walk while Malerich struck out two in three and two-thirds relief innings. Cavalier pitcher sophomore Kristen Dennis went the distance, striking out nine and giving up only one earned run. The Cavaliers also set a tournament record in the fourth inning with their 31st hit of the weekend. 

GAME EIGHT    123 456 7  R   H   E
Florida State 200 100 0  3   7   1
Virginia      100 000 0  1   7   1

WP: Leslie Malerich (29-14)
LP: Kristen Dennis (6-13)