This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Tallahassee, Fla. • Utah's shot at its first softball College World Series berth in over two decades could not weather the sweltering Florida sun.

As temperatures crept into the 90s, the Utes' bats stayed ice cold and No. 8 national seed Florida State used another big home run to complete a two-game Super Regional sweep with a 3-0 victory on Saturday at JoAnne Graf Field.

The Utes scraped out four hits and failed to advance a runner to second base against FSU pitcher Meghan King (25-3).

"I feel like we did everything we could," Utah coach Amy Hogue said. "We were waiting for a break, we were waiting for a mistake and we never really opened the door for any of those things to happen. And you gotta tip your cap to them.

"In a series, you usually have a chance to make some adjustments, and, yeah, I was surprised that we didn't make the adjustments we needed to."

The long ball again proved to be the difference. One day after a three-run homer put Game 1 on ice, FSU's Jessica Warren went deep in the third inning to opposite field in right to stake the Seminoles to a 2-0 lead.

The lead proved safe as double plays short-circuited Utah's offense in the fourth and fifth innings. After a quiet sixth inning, the Utes got a one-out hit from Anissa Urtez before a third double play ended the game and the series.

"I think the pressure was on when that [homer] was hit and we were down 2-0. It makes it a little heavier," Hogue said. "We didn't play defense any tighter, but, offensively, we got tighter instead of looser."

The win gives the Seminoles (53-8) a berth in the CWS.

"My dropball was working to righties, my curveball was working to lefties, but the defense made some outstanding plays. … They were in the right positions," FSU's King said.

Utah finishes 35-22.

Utes sophomore starter Miranda Viramontes kept Utah in the game before FSU tacked on an insurance run in the seventh on a suicide squeeze.

Viramontes (9-9) allowed three runs on eight hits in 61⁄3 innings. She struck out three.

Despite the disappointing series, Hogue and Viramontes, a sophomore, were ready to look forward to the program's next step.

"We just kind of felt it more this year, and we knew what to expect going into regionals," the pitcher said. "… This was a new feel, but we were all saying it didn't really feel different, and we just played it like we know how to."

After Utah's most wins since joining the Pac-12 in 2012, Hogue says the program is eyeing the next step.

"We kept hoping someone [for FSU] would get cold, but they were great. They earned it. They beat us.

"But again, this is the next step for our program, and the kids that have an opportunity to come back — which is a lot of them — are just going to use it as an opportunity.

"Instead of thinking of it as a failure, we think of it as an opportunity, and the opportunity is for growth. And this team has grown through the losses, and we won a regional and we're sitting at Supers with a chance to beat a great team. Now we have something new on the table to go after." —

Storylines

R Utah's season ends two wins short of first College World Series since 1994.

• A Florida State home run again proves to be decisive blow in low-scoring Super Regional.

• Utah coach Amy Hogue says young Utes eager to take next step after breakout season.