CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Junior Dylan Busby continued his hot streak at the plate, recording three hits and four more RBI in leading Florida State to a 6-3 win over rival Miami at Mark Light Field on Friday evening. Since missing last week’s game against Florida, Busby is hitting .524 with 11 hits, four home runs, two doubles and 16 runs batted in.
“I’m pleased with the poise we showed,” head coach Mike Martin said. “This is a tough place to play and we just did the things we needed to do to win.”
Busby’s three-run home run in the fifth inning gave FSU a 4-1 lead after Matt Henderson’s sacrifice fly tied the game earlier in the frame. In the ninth, his two-out RBI double again gave FSU a three run cushion at 6-3. For Busby, it was his fifth straight game with at least three RBI, the first player in FSU history with a five-game streak.
“Missing the Florida game, it was almost a blessing in disguise not playing,” Busby said. “I didn’t get to work on my swing, I just got in there and hit the pitches that I can handle. Seeing those made me more selective and ultimately helped me out.”
Miami took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on Romy Gonzalez’s seventh home run of the year. FSU starter Cole Sands settled down and retired the next nine hitters, leaving after throwing 4.1 innings and allowing two runs. His seven strikeouts tied a career high.
After Miami had three straight hits to open the fifth against Sands, scoring a run on Michael Burns’ RBI single, Alec Byrd entered with one out. Byrd walked the first batter to load the bases before retiring James Davison swinging. Jim Voyles replaced Byrd and forced a groundout to limit any further damage.
Voyles (3-0) went three innings, allowing a run on two hits while striking out three.
“You don’t minimize [our pitching] performance,” Martin said. “Those guys did an outstanding job. We used four arms and gave up seven hits. Very pleased with all of them.”
FSU got an insurance run in the seventh inning after Drew Mendoza hit a double, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Henderson and scored on Taylor Walls’ second sacrifice fly of the season.
Miami earned its final run with a bases loaded walk in the eighth. Drew Carlton relieved Voyles with two on and walked two batters (the first of which was credited to Voyles) to close the Miami deficit. On a 1-0 count to Burns, Carlton forced a fielder’s choice to Busby at third base, retiring the runner at second.
Carlton pitched a perfect ninth for his third save of the season and first in ACC play. Carlton threw 19 pitches and Byrd 11 after both threw Wednesday against Stetson.
Saturday’s game against the Hurricanes pits FSU left-hander Tyler Holton (5-1, 2.60 ERA) against Michael Mediavilla (4-4, 4.23 ERA). Holton is coming off a career-high eight innings against No. 4 Clemson, earning his fifth win while striking out nine.
Florida State is looking to win the series against the Hurricanes for a fourth straight time in Coral Gables. Saturday’s game begins at 7:00 p.m. and will stream on ACC Network Extra on WatchESPN, while Eric Luallen will provide play-by-play audio on 106.1 FM in Tallahassee and nationwide on the FSU Gameday App.
Postgame Notes:
- Dylan Busby is the first player in FSU history with at least three RBI in five straight games. He was one of only three players with three RBI in four straight games, joining Jeff Ledbetter in 1982 and Jason Stidham in 2009.
- Busby’s fourth-inning home run was his team-high eighth of the season and 31stof his career. Busby entered the weekend tied with Seth Beer (Clemson) and Kel Johnson (Georgia Tech) for the ACC lead among active players.
- Cole Sands’ seven strikeouts ties a career-high, done twice earlier in 2017 against Virginia Tech and Notre Dame.
- All nine Florida State starters reached base, with seven players notching at least one hit. Taylor Walls (walk) and Quincy Nieporte (hit by pitch) also reached base.
- Drew Carlton’s save was his third of the season, first in the ACC and first since March 7 at UCF.
- Florida State improved to 4-0 on the road on Friday’s this season.
For more information on Florida State baseball, check Seminoles.com for the latest news and scheduling information, or keep up with the team on social media through Twitter (@FSUBaseball), Facebook (/FSUBaseball), and Instagram (@NoleBaseball).
