Florida
No. 16 Florida State softball run rules No. 12 Florida to open in-state series
For their first game against the Florida Gators, Florida State softball traveled to Gainesville to face the freshman Ava Brown. In their first trip to the batters box, the Seminoles were shut down by Brown, going 1-2-3.
On the other side of the ball, it was Mimi Gooden getting the start in the circle. Gooden walked her first batter, but it was erased on a double play to add two outs. A fly out for her next batter kept it at the minimum and was able to roll with the 0-0 game.
A one out walk from Devyn Flaherty put the first baserunner on for the Seminoles in the top of the 6th. Immediately following, Jahni Kerr knocked a single on her first pitch. Unable to capitalize on the runners, a ground out ended the frame.
Gooden started the bottom of the 2nd with a hit batter, and a ground out moved her into scoring position. With one out, the pitcher, Brown doubled to break the scoreless tie. Gooden was able to respond and keep it at only the lone run.
Some more traffic on the bases in the bottom of the 3rd, as the Gators had runners on via a pair of hits with one out. Gooden was able to lock in and get the ground out and pop up to keep the ‘Noles within one.
Gooden’s day ended after three innings of work, and Emma Wilson relieved her in the 4th. For her first batter, Wilson gave up a solo shot to extend the Gators lead to 2 runs. A one out single and walk had two runners on before a fly out. A close play at first was ruled safe with two outs, and UF loaded the bases. Luckily for the Wilson, a fly out kept the flood gates from opening.
Hallie Wacaser singled to begin the 5th inning, and was replaced by Annie Potter to run. With no outs, Katie Dack came up with a hit, and an error in the outfield allowed Potter to come all the way home.
Now a 2-1 game, Brown exited for the a Virginia transfer, Mckenzie Wooten. Facing Wooten for the first time, Amaya Ross reached on an error that placed runners on the corners. With no outs, a wild pitch brought in the equalizer.
A sacrifice and intentional walk to Jaysoni Beachum had FSU threatening once again. A base hit from Kalei Harding pulled the ‘Noles out in front for the first time.
Now 3-2 in favor of FSU, Olivia Miller relieved Wooten. Isa Torres was the first batter for Miller, and after taking a full count, Torres unloaded on a ball deep to center field for a 3-run homerun.
After the homerun, Flaherty singled with one out. A mishandled ball at second base put two runners on, and a walk to Wacaser loaded things up. An RBI fielders choice traded an out for a run, making it 7-2. Continuing to struggle, UF couldn’t get Ross to make it 8-2.
Now with 13 batters in the 5th inning, Kaley Mudge singled to add another run. Two outs didn’t matter much to Beachum as she pushed across two more runs on a homerun to left.
A twelve run inning finally came to an end, changing the course of the game. Now looking to end it early on a run rule, Ashtyn Danley came on in the bottom of the 5th. A lead off walk from Danley ended up coming around after a ground out and wild pitch.
The single that brought home third run for the Gators stood on second after a wild pitch. However, Danley was able to get her final two outs to run rule No. 12 Florida by a 12-3 score.
FSU now has 11 straight wins, and is 37-10 overall
Up next
FSU will host UNC in Tallahassee
- Friday April 26th, 6 pm, ACCNX
- Saturday April 27th, 4 pm, ESPNU
- Sunday April 28th, 12 pm, ACCNX
Austin Smotherman will carry a three-stroke lead into the weekend at the Cognizant Classic at The Palm Beaches.
Smotherman followed his opening 62 with a 2-under-par 69 on Friday at PGA National’s Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. That brought him to 11 under, comfortably clear of Taylor Moore, who is in second after his second straight 4-under 67.
Cognizant Classic scoreboard
“Yeah, leading a PGA Tour event, come on, pretty awesome,” Smotherman said.
Smotherman, 31, is in fine position for his first win on the PGA Tour since turning pro a decade ago. He has won three times on the Korn Ferry Tour, including last June.
Afterwards, he credited himself with playing “Austin Smotherman golf.” When asked what that meant, he responded, “as boring and simple as it can be.
“That’s what I want to do out there. I feel like I ball strike it good enough to have that kind of boring golf, a bunch of fairways ideally,” he said.
He suffered three bogeys Friday after a bogey-free opening round, but the key stretch for him after starting on the back nine was between Nos. 17 and 3. He birdied four holes in that stretch, starting with a 54-foot bomb at the par-3 17th hole.
“Anything under par I thought would have been (good) following up a round like yesterday, which was a special one,” he said, “and try not to get too far ahead of myself thinking I’m going to make every long putt I’m looking at, like kind of was the feeling yesterday, and then today I still make a 55-footer on 17.”
Moore overcame a bogey in each half of his round with three birdies on either nine, more than counterbalancing the rough patches to earn his second straight solid score.
“I think very different 67s,” Moore said when comparing his rounds. “I didn’t hit many fairways yesterday, kind of grinded a lot, had a couple chip-ins, which obviously helps. I thought I struck the ball much better today. Drove it in the fairways on the par-5s, I felt like. Yeah, still had a few up-and- downs, obviously, with the tough windy conditions this afternoon, but overall I thought it was solid.”
Canadian A.J. Ewart had the round of the day, a 64 that powered him to 7 under for the week. He’s tied with Colombia’s Nico Echavarria (72), and Joel Dahmen is in fifth at 6 under after a second consecutive 68.
Ewart, who played for nearby Barry University in college, came in with some familiarity.
“We used to come and watch this tournament when I was at school. I think I came up here twice, maybe three times and watched,” Ewart said. “I had never actually played the golf course, but I felt like I knew it just from watching it.”
Irishman Shane Lowry, one of the most recognizable players in the field, is in a large knot for sixth at 5 under after posting a 67. Defending champion Joe Highsmith made the cut on the number at even par.
Notable players who missed the cut included Webb Simpson (1 over), Gary Woodland (2 over), Matt Kuchar (2 over) and Canada’s Adam Hadwin (3 over).
Kim maintains narrow lead in Singapore
Auston Kim maintained a narrow lead over three seasoned competitors with a 3-under-par 69 on Friday at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore.
Kim carded five birdies and a double-bogey at the par-5 16th hole at Sentosa Golf Club to move to 9-under par, one shot ahead of major champions Minjee Lee of Australia (64 on Friday) and Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn (67) and three- time LPGA Tour winner Haeran Ryu of South Korea (68).
Lurking two shots back at 7-under in the no-cut event are Australia’s Hannah Green (66), Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen (68), Sweden’s Linn Grant (69) and England’s Mimi Rhodes (69).
Kim, an LPGA Tour member since 2024, has been knocking on the door of her first tour win. The American has eight finishes in the top 10 and was the runner-up at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship last season.
“I think just sticking to my process. I’m trying to earn each shot and win each shot and win each day,” Kim, 25, said of her strategy heading into the weekend. “I can put a hundred percent of my focus into every single shot and try my best to execute each time, I’ll do well.”
Lee soared into contention with an eagle at the par-4 second hole and six birdies in a bogey-free round.
“I think just I holed a few more putts out there,” Lee said of the difference between Friday’s play and her opening-round of 72. “I holed a few long ones and I also holed out for eagle on the second. That always helps the score.”
Jutanugarn had six birdies, including three straight from holes Nos. 5-7, and one bogey.
Ryu collected four birdies in a round free of bogeys, but not free from pain.
“Today, my neck was so bad and I cannot turn it around, it’s so hard, my neck,” Ryu said. “But yeah, golf is not perfect. I just think about it, just hit the fairway and the green. Yeah, that’s good for me. There’s a lot of birdies, and yeah, I’m so happy.”
Angel Yin matched Lee for the low round of the day with a 64 to move into a tie for ninth at 6-under.
Defending champion Lydia Ko of New Zealand (72) remained a 2-under posting four birdies and four bogeys.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand is tied for 33rd at 1-under after a round of 70.
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