The No. 4 ranked Florida State Seminoles squared off against Wake Forest in an intense matchup, with Jamie Arnold starting on the mound for the Seminoles and Luke Schmolke taking the hill for Wake Forest. Both pitchers dominated early, as the first two innings passed without a score.
In the top of the third, Alex Lodise made an impressive double play to help the Seminoles escape the inning unscathed. Lodise then came up big at the plate in the bottom of the third, launching a two-run homer to give the Seminoles a 2-0 lead.
The Seminoles’ offense continued to roll in the fourth inning. Cal Fisher delivered a clutch single up the middle, sending two Seminoles across the plate to extend the lead to 4-0.
On the mound, Jamie Arnold was in dominant form, tallying 10 strikeouts through the fifth inning. Wake Forest’s hopes for a comeback rested on Arnold’s exit, as he proved difficult to solve.
Once Arnold left the game, the momentum shifted in Wake Forest’s favor. The Demon Deacons exploded in the sixth inning, launching three home runs to narrow the score to 4-3. This power surge gave Wake Forest a renewed sense of hope and brought the game back to life.
In the seventh inning, Wake Forest’s Marek Houston tied the game at 4-4 with a clutch single. The Seminoles’ pitching, which had been strong early on, now needed to find its rhythm once again to secure a win.
The Seminoles narrowly escaped a dangerous situation in the seventh when Wake Forest had runners on second and third. They closed out the inning without allowing a run, keeping the score tied.
In the eighth inning, the scenario repeated itself. The Seminoles once again found themselves in a tight spot with two runners in scoring position, but managed to escape the jam once more.
With the game tied at 4-4 heading into the ninth inning, the Seminoles desperately needed to find some offense. Just as needed, Max Williams made a beautiful catch at the centerfield wall, preserving the tie.
Then, in the bottom of the ninth, Williams came up clutch again, hitting a walk-off single into left field that sent Gage Harrelson home to score the winning run. The Seminoles won 5-4 in a thrilling finish.
FSU coach Link Jarrett said postgame that “The defense might have been the difference in this whole thing.” Time and time again, the Seminoles’ defense came up big — from Jamie Arnold’s impressive 10 strikeouts to the crucial escapes in the seventh and eighth innings. Each of these moments played a pivotal role in preserving the Seminoles’ lead and setting the stage for the thrilling walk-off victory.