No. 9 FSU defeats Pitt to win second consecutive ACC crown

BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, No. 9 Florida State (45-12) secured a 6-2 win against Pitt (35-20) in the 2015 ACC Championship game at Tech Softball Park. It marks the 13th conference championship in Florida State history and the second title in a row.

Jessica Burroughs pitched 4.2 scoreless innings of relief, while Jessica Warren had a pinch-hit two-RBI single in the sixth inning to give the Seminoles the lead for good. Burroughs was named the 2015 ACC Championship Most Valuable Player, and was joined on the ACC All-Tournament Team by Warren, Bailey Schinella, Alex Powers and Victoria Daddis.

“This is huge for us,” FSU head coach Lonni Alameda said. “All season we’ve been fighting to find our identity, often living in the shadow of last year. But what a great job of our upperclassmen of being the consistent example of who we need to be.

“Amazing job from Lacey to be a mentor to Jessica, and from Jessica for working her tail off to be here for the team at this time. For us, going into postseason, this is huge to have two wins where we needed late rallies to take the lead.”

The Seminoles opened the scoring with an RBI single from Powers to make it 1-0 after the first inning. She scored Morgan Klaevemann, who had hit a single to left to leadoff the game. Klaevemann has now hit safely in 23 consecutive games, dating back to March 25.

Florida State scored in the first inning for the 20th time this season and are an undefeated (20-0) in those games.

FSU added another run in the second inning as Victoria East knocked an RBI single through the right side of the infield.

Pitt got on the board in the third inning, sparked by a base hit by Maggie Sevilla and a throwing error by FSU starter Lacey Waldrop to allow runners to get to second and third with one out in the inning. McKayla Taylor stepped in and tied the game at 2-2 with a double to left field.

Burroughs entered the game to relieve Waldrop in the circle. Waldrop finished with 2.1 innings pitched and allowed two runs, one earned on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Burroughs got out of the inning without any further damage by inducing two pop outs to foul territory.

In the FSU sixth inning, Warren, who had not played since the Boston College game on May 7 due to a lower leg injury, pinch-hit and drove a single to the wall in right center to give the Seminoles a 4-2 lead.

Burroughs (16-5) closed out the game in the circle, retiring the last nine batters she faced, to earn the victory in relief. She allowed just one hit over 4.2 shutout innings and recorded six strikeouts without giving up a walk.