May 20, 2001

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - It is hard to imagine a more heart-breaking way for a season to end than the way it ended for the Florida State softball team (58-12) on a soggy Sunday night. After battling the University of California to a 1-1 tie for nine innings, the Seminoles broke a six inning scoreless drought to take a 2-1 lead in the top of the tenth. FSU then had Cal (53-16) down to its last strike in the bottom of the tenth before number nine hitter, Kristen Morley sent a double to left center scoring the Bear's second and third runs and punching Cal's ticket to the Women's College World Series.

"You have to give a lot of credit to Cal," said head coach Dr. JoAnne Graf. "They played a great game and they hung around the whole time. I thought that once we got two out we were going to get out of that inning (bottom of the 10th). I felt pretty good about it but their kid just got a great hit."

For the first time in three meetings with Cal at the 2001 NCAA Tallahassee Regional, the Seminoles scored first and took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Kimmy Carter started things off for FSU with a one-out single to center and was moved to second when Cal starter Nicole DiSalvio (20-7) walked Jessica van der Linden. Robyn Gauger advanced Carter to third on a deep fly to right and California-native Brandi Stuart drove her home with a single to left field. The RBI was the first of the 2001 Tallahassee Regional for the Seminoles leading hitter.

The Bears tied the game up in the bottom of the third and threatened to take the lead when Candace Harper's double to deep center scored Kristen Morley with the tying run off of freshman starter van der Linden. After van der Linden loaded the bases with two outs, Jennifer White-Stokes replaced the ACC Rookie of the Year on the mound and got Courtney Scott to ground to short where Veronica Nelson was called out on runner's interference.

FSU led off the top of the fourth with a double by first baseman Robyn Gauger to deep right center, her third of the tournament, but was unable to capitalize. DiSalvio struck out two of the next three batters to end the Seminoles threat and keep the game even at 1-1.

Florida State looked like it could take over the lead in the top of the sixth inning when Gauger reached on a two-out error by Bear third baseman Harper. Sophomore Stuart then sent a deep shot over the head of the Cal right fielder as Gauger rounded third and headed for home. Second baseman Eryn Manahan took the throw from right and made a perfect strike to Cal catcher Courtney Scott who tagged Gauger out at the plate to keep the game knotted at 1-1.

Both pitchers held the other squad off of the board as the game entered the tenth inning. Cal almost ended the game in the bottom of the eighth when Nelson led off the inning with a base hit down the left field line and Manahan reached on an error. White-Stokes battled back to retire the next three batters to keep the game tied.

FSU staged a two-out rally in the top of the tenth when Brooks laid down a perfect bunt along the first baseline and beat the throw out at first. Brooks then stole her 55th base of the year to advance to second. Junior Kimmy Carter's base hit into shallow right scored Brooks from second with the potential game- winning run.

Cal never gave up and led off the bottom of the inning with a walk. They proceeded to put runners on first and third after Manahan got on base on a fielder's choice and pinch runner Katie Andrew reached safely and advanced on an error by third baseman Staci Brandon. Manahan moved over to second on a Scott ground out and the Bears then loaded the bases on an intentional walk to Amber Phillips. The Seminoles then brought in ace Leslie Malerich to face Mikella Pedretti. Pedretti sent a ball to shortstop Natalie Bennett who fired a perfect strike to home to get Andrew on an extremely close play at the plate. Malerich then, needing just one out to send her team to the WCWS, took a commanding 0-2 lead on Cal's Morley, but after taking a ball to send the cont to 1-2, Morely sent a shot into left center scoring Phillips and Manahan and ending the Seminoles season.

White-Stokes (19-6) pitched six and two-thirds scoreless innings before giving way to Malerich who entered the final game with a perfect 4-0 record in the 2001 NCAA Regional Tournament. For the tournament, White-Stokes, a senior from Tuttle, Okla., pitched 15.0 innings against the sixth-ranked Bears while allowing just one earned run and posting an impressive 0.47 ERA.

"This game meant a lot to me thinking about how it could be the last one I ever played," said White-Stokes. "It is so weird to think that it is all over since I have been doing this my whole life. Despite the outcome, it was a good way to go out." The Seminoles end the season with their deepest run into the postseason since they advanced to the Women's College World Series in 1993. Their 58 wins were the most since the 1995 team went 58-18 and they placed six players on the All-Southeast Region Team, swept all three awards at the ACC Banquet and placed six members on the 2001 NCAA Tallahassee Regional All-Tournament team.

NOTES: Florida State led all teams at the 2001 NCAA Tallahassee Regional with six players named to the all-tournament team. Regional champion Cal had five players, including Most Outstanding Player Amber Phillips, and FAU placed one player, Nicole Meyers on the 12-person team. Seniors Jen White-Stokes, Robyn Gauger and Serita Brooks, juniors Monique Marier and Leslie Malerich and freshman Jessica van der Linden were FSU's six representatives on the all-tournament team.