Bold opening hook: Florida State is rallying hard, but the drama isn’t over yet—and this game proves why people love softball so much. And this is the part most fans miss: the narrative isn’t just about the score, it’s about momentum, resilience, and moments that flip the gears in the seventh inning.
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Live softball updates: No. 6 Florida State vs. Florida Atlantic in the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational.
Florida State returns to action Friday at 7:00 p.m. ET to take on Florida Atlantic, a program that is ranked anywhere from No. 23 to receiving votes depending on the poll. It will be the second game for both teams at the event. FSU dropped a 3-2 decision to No. 1 Texas Tech on Thursday afternoon, while FAU faced Texas Tech at 4:00 p.m. (ESPN+), just before facing FSU.
FSU sits at 6-1 on the season, while FAU enters with a 5-0 record. The Owls cruised through a home tournament last week, defeating Indiana, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Stonehill, and Delaware. FAU has outscored opponents 36-11 on opening weekend. In 2025, FAU finished 45-12 but fell in the Gainesville Regional.
The Seminoles-Owls matchup will be streamed on ESPN+. A link to the live stream is here: https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/fdbbd99a-074e-48be-affd-0c3192ed0416.
For a deeper look at FAU entering the event, read here: https://247sports.com/college/florida-state/longformarticle/fsu-softball-set-to-face-four-ranked-teams-over-four-days-at-shriners-childrens-clearwater-invitational-273969577/#2790306.
FSUs all-time series edge over FAU stands at 12-7, and the Noles have won the last four meetings. The teams last played in 2019.
Since the Shriner’s Clearwater Invitational began in 2019, FSU has been one of the tournament’s most successful teams, posting a 20-10 record—the best mark in the nation. Of those 20 wins, 12 came against ranked opponents. FSU has now gone undefeated in the tournament three times (2019, 2022, 2025), a tournament record.
Noles247 will provide updates throughout the game and in the comments section below this article.
Seventh Inning Update: FSU 9, FAU 5
- Makenna Sturgis hit a two-run homer, extending FSU’s lead to 9-5 in the top of the seventh.
Sixth Inning Update: FSU 7, FAU 5
- FAU loaded the bases with two singles and added another single to bring in a run, pulling within two. They now trail 7-5 in the bottom half of the sixth.
- FSU also had two runners on in the top half of the inning but could not push more runs across.
Fifth Inning Update: FSU 7, FAU 4
- The Owls threatened with runners on the corners, but a groundout ended the rally.
- Anna Hinde belted a solo shot to dead center, boosting FSU’s lead to 7-4 in the top of the fifth.
- Ashtyn Danley followed with a solo homer to left-center, making it 6-4.
Fourth Inning Update: FSU 5, FAU 4
- FAU started the bottom of the fourth with a walk but couldn’t capitalize.
- Marin Heller hit a pop fly for an RBI, giving FSU a 5-4 lead.
- Isa Torres and Makenna Sturgis each doubled in the top of the inning to score runs and narrow the gap earlier, with the latest doubles driving in torres and Griggs to make it 4-2.
Third Inning Update: FAU 4, FSU 1
- FAU added two runs on a two-out RBI triple from Karson Davey, then tacked on more as the Owls extended the lead to 4-1 after three.
- FSU threatened in the top half thanks to walks from Angelee Bueno and Jaysoni Beachum but left runners on.
Second Inning Update: FAU 4, FSU 1
- Lily Holtje delivered a run-scoring hit for FAU; a similar two-out RBI triple by Karson Davey pushed FAU ahead to 3-1, then a run-scoring triple by Hayley Griggs in left field helped FAU make it 4-1.
- FSU managed to score first in the frame with a run on a triple by Griggs that scored Shelby McKenzie, placing FSU on the board at 1-0.
First Inning Update: Both teams scoreless
- Ashtyn Danley worked around a walk for a scoreless first; the top half went 1-2-3 for FSU.
Starting Lineups
Florida State: 1) Isa Torres 2) Marin Heller 3) Jaysoni Beachum 4) Ashtyn Danley 5) Anna Hinde 6) Shelby McKenzie 7) Hayley Griggs 8) Makenna Sturgis 9) Angelee Bueno
Florida Atlantic: 1) Kylie Hammonds 2) Jesiana Mora 3) Lily Holtje 4) Destiny Johns 5) Lily Lowery 6) Kiley Shelton 7) Chloe Yeatts 8) McKenna Mulholland 9) Karson Davey
Pitchers: FSU - Ashtyn Danley; FAU - Autumn Courtney
Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational Schedule for FSU
- Thursday: No. 1 Texas Tech 3, No. 6 FSU 2
- Friday at 7:00 p.m.: No. 6 FSU vs. No. 25 Florida Atlantic (ESPN+)
- Saturday at 7:00 p.m.: No. 6 FSU vs. No. 7 UCLA (ESPN+)
- Sunday at 8:00 p.m.: No. 6 FSU vs. No. 3 Tennessee (ESPN)
Would you like this rewritten version to lean more toward a play-by-play recap, or keep it balanced with context and analysis? Also, should I tighten the focus on the key turning points in the seventh inning or keep a broader game-flow narrative?
