King puts Cowgirls’ WCWS hopes on hold

FSU 4 OSU 1

TALLAHASSEE, Fl a .— Winning elimination games is becoming a habit for the Florida State softball team.

The fourth-ranked Seminoles were facing elimination Friday but survived with a 4- 1 win over No. 13 Oklahoma State to force a third and decisive game in the NCAA super regional at JoAnne Graf Field.

The Seminoles won six elimination games during the 2018 NCAA Tournament on their way to a national championship.

Florida State ( 55- 9) won Friday's game behind a dominating pitching performance by senior ace Meghan King, who allowed just four hits and struck out nine without a walk.

The Cowgirls bested King on Thursday with a 3-1 nineinning victory in the first game of the best-of-three series. The series finale will be Saturday at 11 a.m.

King and OSU's Samantha Show appeared to be on their way toward another pitchers' duel on Friday as each retired the first six batters they faced.

But the Seminoles ( 55- 9) pushed four across the plate in the top of the third. It all started with a hit-by-pitch.

Show plunkedFSU' s Cassidy Davis on the first pitch of the inning. Zoe Casas then chopped an infield single over the mound. After a failed bunt attempt by Rock Benavides resulted in a foul out, Show walked Cali Harrod and Carsyn Gordon to give the Seminoles their first run. A sacrifice fly by Moore native Sydney Sherrill drove in another run before Elizabeth Mason's two-run single to center.

The Cowgirls ( 43- 15) got one back in the bottom of the stanza when Sydney Pennington, who led off with a single, scored on a throwing error.

A bunt single by USA Softball Player of the Year Madi Sue Montgomery began the bottom of the fourth, but Seminoles ace Meghan King retired the next three batters to thwart any rally.

OSU junior Logan Simunek relieved Show to begin the fourth and kept the Seminoles bats in check, but the damage was already done.

Oklahoma State i s trying to reach its eighth Women's College World Series and first since 2011. Despite Friday's loss, OSU still owns an 11-8 advantage in the all-time series with Florida State. Those wins include two regional victories over the Seminoles in the 2009 Tallahassee Regional.