TALLAHASSEE — The No. 3 Florida State softball team hit three 2-run homers to open the NCAA Tallahassee Regional in dominant fashion against Marist at the Seminole Softball Complex on Friday.

The Seminoles (51-8) scored five runs in the third inning and added two more each in the fourth and fifth innings to run-rule the Red Foxes 9-0 in five innings in their first game of the NCAA tournament.

“We worked really hard for this, so it was quite fun,” FSU coach Lonni Alameda said after the game. “Step 1 for us.”

The Seminoles’ Mack Leonard pitched 4 innings and struck out two batters while allowing no hits. In relief, Makenna Reid finished off with one inning of work and two strikeouts.

Marist (29-29) only got on base three times due to a fielding error by FSU in the second inning, a fielder’s choice in the same inning and a walk in the third. The Red Foxes recorded no hits.

“That was a good matchup for her,” Alameda said about Leonard, who earned the win. “She was pretty efficient with her pitching so that part was good.”

While Leonard and Reid did their jobs in the circle, the FSU offense got rolling in the third inning when Leonard hit an RBI double that scored Kalei Harding from first base. After Devyn Flaherty singled to advance Leonard to third, Hallie Wacaser hit a bases-clearing RBI single and was able to advance to second following a fielding error.

Leading 3-0 with one out in the same inning, the Seminoles extended their lead to five runs when Michaela Edenfield hit a 2-run home run to right center.

Following a Jahni Kerr single with 1 out in the fourth, Harding sent a 2-run homer down the left field line to put FSU ahead 7-0 entering the fifth.

The Seminoles could have scored even earlier in the game.

FSU was able to load the bases in the bottom of the second inning after three straight batters were walked with two outs. With Edenfield at third base, Bethany Keen at second and Josie Muffley at first, Kaley Mudge flew out to left.

The Seminoles will face the winner of UCF-South Carolina on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Email Jason Beede at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @therealBeede.