The No. 4 Florida State Seminoles bested the Jacksonville Dolphins 11-10 in a shootout Tuesday night at Dick Howser Stadium.
This Sunshine State matchup did not disappoint as the Dolphins (16-12) entered the game with a serious level of energy that took Florida State (24-4) by surprise in the beginning. Unfortunately for Jacksonville, the Seminoles managed to quell the effort and hold out against the possible upset.
This was a high scoring contest throughout, but most of the runs occurred in the first two innings. The Dolphins set the tone for the game, taking advantage of a poor performance from starting pitcher Hudson Rowan to earn five runs in just the first inning. The most notable of these being a three run home run by Aidan Masters.
The Seminoles adjusted and swiftly responded back to erase the 5-0 deficit. Max Williams hit a two-run home run in the first, followed by a solo home run run by James Hankerson Jr. in the second inning. Three more runs were scored in the second inning to give the Seminoles a 6-5 lead despite getting off to a rough start.
After this point, the Seminoles received a significantly better performance off the mound. The Dolphins only scored two runs between the third and fourth innings. One of those runs came from Chandler Howard being walked home due to a pitch-clock violation.
Unfortunately for the Dolphins, the Seminoles showed no signs of slowing down. They piled on another three runs in the fourth inning, including a pair of RBI’s from Brody DeLamielleure and Drew Faurot to extend the lead to 9-7.
Jacksonville refused to let the game get out of reach, and thanks to a solo home run by Conner Spelman, they managed to shrink the lead down to a single run. However, despite keeping Florida State silent in the sixth, they were unable to capitalize on the opportunity.
The Seminoles took to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning with the goal of putting the game away. Luckily for the Noles, star player Alex Lodise once again provided the necessary boost with an RBI double to extend the lead to 11-8.
But the Dolphins refused to go down quietly, making their last stand in the top of the ninth. After back to back strikeouts, they managed to put together a two-run double from pinch hitter Carson Stevens. It was not enough as the Dolphins struck out shortly after and the Seminoles survived the shootout.
“When you spot someone five runs, you’re lucky to walk out with a win,” FSU coach Link Jarrett said. “I was pleased with the poise of the team overall. I never felt like anyone was panicked.”
This composure will be put to the test soon, as Florida State looks ahead to prepare for a three game homestand against Wake Forest this weekend. The first pitch of this series will take place on Friday at 8:00 p.m.