Softball On SI

Florida Softball Honors FSU Head Coach as Seminoles Win Midweek Matchup

Just two days after Florida State head coach Lonni Alameda revealed her breast cancer diagnosis, the Florida Gators honored her in a surprising way.
Maren Angus-Coombs|
Florida's head coach Tim Walton and Florida State's Lonnie Alameda embrace before exchanging lineups on April 2, 2025.
Florida's head coach Tim Walton and Florida State's Lonnie Alameda embrace before exchanging lineups on April 2, 2025. | Florida Athletics

Emotions were running high in Tallahassee Wednesday night when the No. 6 Florida State Seminoles welcomed the No. 2 Florida Gators to town.

The Seminoles walked away with a 4-0 win over the Gators in front of a sold-out crowd of 1,737 at JoAnne Graf Field, but it was about more than just a game.

How the Gators chose to honor FSU head coach Lonni Alameda before the game brought the FSU head coach to tears.

The Florida team walked onto the field to warm up wearing bright pink t-shirts and the coaching staff was dressed in light pink.

Alameda revealed publicly on Monday that she was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and would be coaching the Seminoles as she undergoes treatment.

“You realize just how big the game is,” Alameda said. “And when I say the game, just sport in general — the Florida State family, softball families, I mean, just the outpouring of high schools and club teams. Of course, Tim [Walton, UF’s coach] … we recruit against each other a lot. We know a lot of those kids, I know their families. And yeah, it brings you tears, and the umpires got tears, and everyone … I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, you guys stop. You know, I’m here, and I’m alive, and I’m kicking.’

“I don’t know how I’m going to move forward, you know. Trying to be as thankful for everyone’s support, but also realize like it’s a really cool moment to like raise up all the people. I mean, I go to treatments with 60 people in there getting treatment. And some people are taking taxis to come in, and I’ve got a full posse of people supporting me. So it’s very grounding and emotional, like it’s just super cool. But I think this is when we all see that sport is bigger than the sport, and that was outstanding by Florida today.”

Once the game started, FSU's Jahni Kerr provided all the offense needed to upset the Gators. Kerr went 2-for-3 with two home runs and four RBIs.

Ashtyn Danley and Annabelle Widra combined to limit the Florida offense to four hits over seven innings. Danley earned the win, pitching four scoreless innings, and Widra was credited with her first save of the season.

The Seminoles also extended their winning streak to 14 games, which is the second-longest streak in the country.

Up next for FSU is a three-game series against Virginia starting Friday at 6 p.m. on ACCNX. Florida will host No. 13 Arkansas in a three-game SEC series.

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Maren Angus-Coombs
MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has been a sports writer since 2008. She has been covering college softball since 2016 for various outlets including Softball America, ESPNW and Hurrdat Sports. She is currently the managing editor of Softball On SI and also serves as an analyst for Nebraska softball games on Nebraska Public Media and B1G+.

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