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Tallahassee, Fla. • Utah's NCAA postseason dance party will need to add a two-step routine Saturday if it wants to keep its College World Series dream alive.

After a 6-2 loss to Florida State in Friday's Super Regional opener, Utah coach Amy Hogue said the Utes (35-21) will need to loosen up to extend their season.

"The only reason I thought we looked a little bit tight was we swung at some pitches we don't normally swing at," the coach said after the game. "And we took longer than I'd like to put some hits together. But that's the only disappointment that I had — that we took too long."

During a final-inning rally, the Utes loaded the bases in the seventh inning but scored one run. Utah batters struck out seven times against FSU starter and ACC Pitcher of the Year Jessica Burroughs (27-5).

Utah must win twice Saturday at JoAnne Graf Field to advance to Oklahoma City and its first CWS since 1994. Saturday's first game starts at 2:30 MDT. Saturday's second game, if necessary, is scheduled for 5:30 MDT.

The Utes mostly matched the eighth-seeded Seminoles through five innings before the game shifted on two plays by the FSU shortstop.

The Utes had a chance to tie in the sixth, but FSU shortstop Cali Harrod made a leaping catch of Kristen Stewart's hard liner with the tying run at second to preserve the Seminoles' 2-1 lead. Kay Kay Fronda had pulled the Utes to within one with a solo home run to right earlier in the inning.

Harrod then delivered the decisive blow in the bottom of the frame, slicing a three-run home run over the left-field foul pole to stake the Seminoles to a five-run lead.

"It was a double off the bat," Hogue said of Stewart's liner. "I didn't even see her catch it because I was looking in the gap like, 'Where'd it go?'

"Heck of a play. That shortstop had a heck of a day."

The first 3 ½ innings were a pitcher's duel before the eighth-seeded Seminoles (52-8) struck first.

Florida State started the scoring on Sydney Broderick's one-out sacrifice fly in the fourth. Harrod made it 2-0 FSU with an RBI single.

Utah starter Katie Donovan (20-11) stymied the 'Noles early, allowing one hit and two baserunners through three innings. She took the loss after allowing six runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. She struck out two.

"I was struggling with a few of my pitches, and they took advantage of it," Donovan said. "It was pretty plain and simple."

Utah will now regroup and try to sweep two games from the Seminoles.

"It's a three-game series, but let's not take 4-5-6 innings to make that adjustment," Hogue said of her hitters. "So, I thought that was the only thing that I expected us to do a little better, a little quicker, and I thought maybe we weren't as loose as we've been. … These kids aren't afraid, they just, physically, didn't make the adjustment." —

Storylines

R Utes can't find right mix in 6-2 Super Regional loss to Florida State.

• Big plays by FSU shortstop Cali Harrod blow open game in sixth inning.

• Utah batters struggle against ACC Pitcher of the Year Jessica Burroughs.