Jazzy Francik Shuts Down Marshall as No. 7 FSU Rolls to 6-2 Win in Doubleheader Opener
Jazzy Francik Rolls Through
Isa Torres is really fast, and she showed that on her leadoff triple in the bottom of the first inning of today’s game one in a doubleheader against Marshall. Torres, in my opinion, has a real shot to be the national player of the year, and this Florida State squad looks settled in and poised early on this season.
After Torres came home for an early 1-0 lead, the Seminoles never relinquished the lead as they took this one 6-2, behind another solid performance from Jazzy Francik, and more freshman contributions.
In the circle, Francik tossed a no-hitter on opening night and while today would not be another no-hit performance, her calm demeanor and location was elite. Francik’s change of speed and skill to work both sides of the plate made it difficult for Marshall. Her inside placement often got looks from the Thundering Herd without swinging, and her swing and miss stuff was all but hypnotizing. In the first three innings, Jazzy faced 11 batters and fanned six of them with no walks and two hits.
There is a long season ahead, but if Francik can maintain this consistency throughout the season and the Noles are who I believe they will be, I have to think she will be a huge candidate for national pitcher of the year. I know that everyone is high on the likes of NiJaree Canady and Karlyn Pickens, and I am as well, but it doesn’t hurt to take a look around and see who is making a big impact on top notch teams.
In the top of the fourth, we got a chance to see Francik and FSU in a little situation with the bases loaded and one out. How an elite pitcher can respond with a little pressure says a lot, and what did Jazzy do? She came back with a strikeout and then freshman Marin Heller cleaned up her prior error with a snag at second base to get the Noles out of the jam. That was a huge moment, and they passed that test.
Then there is Makenna Sturgis who broke this game open in the bottom of the fourth inning, with a two-run home run to center that increased the lead to 3-0. The bats were a bit quiet to that point, and after seeing Paige Maynard for the first three innings, they started to barrel her up in the fourth. Torres and Heller recorded back-to-back, two-out hits, and Torres came in on a throwing error to take a 4-0 lead.
Speaking on Heller for a second, she is one of the freshmen that Florida State is showing much faith in from the beginning. To come in and get to work immediately at second base says a lot about her skillset and the trust she has earned already.
After a three-up, three-down top fifth, Bella Ruggiero and Sturgis kept the inning alive and again, showed the youth’s ability to generate offense for the Noles. Then Isa Torres put a ball in play on a 2-2 pitch, and that scored two runs after the shortstop couldn’t field cleanly following a slight brush with Sturgis. The Noles would take a 6-0 lead to the sixth and had recorded nine hits on the day.
Jazzy Francik would not return as she finished her day with 5.0 innings pitched, eight strikeouts, one walk, and three hits allowed after facing 20 batters. That performance will be welcomed any day of the week. Jazzy has now completed 12 innings pitched with a 0.00 ERA, 15 strikeouts to three walks in two starts.
Freshman Bella Dimitrijevic would take the circle in the sixth, and in her first collegiate action, she would answer the bell after loading the bases with two outs. She came back with the heat to sit down Haleigh Adkins for the third out to leave the bases juiced. The nerves of this team look to be in a good place. Florida State would go on to win this one 6-2, after Marshall’s Sydni Burko hit a two-run homer in the seventh. FSU improves to 3-0 on the young season.
Stay tuned, as I will be keeping an eye on this team closely this season.
