DURHAM, N.C. — No. 14 Florida State (10-5, 1-2 ACC) collected its first Atlantic Coast Conference win of the season Sunday, topping No. 12 Duke (12-3, 2-1) 10-2 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Elijah Cabell and Reese Albert combined for seven RBI and both hit a home run, while Logan Lacey had a pair of doubles and his first home run as a Seminole. FSU had 13 hits in the game.
Jack Anderson (2-0) earned the win with 3.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Florida State’s relief pitchers combined for seven scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and one walk. After Anderson, Clayton Kwiatkowski (1.2 IP, 4 K), Chase Haney (0.2 IP, 2 K), Parker Messick (0.2 IP, 1 K) and Doug Kirkland (0.1 IP, 1 K) pitched the final 3.1 innings.
At the plate, Cabell tied a career-high with five RBI, including his second grand slam of the season in the eighth inning. The sophomore has seven of FSU’s 13 home runs on the year.
Reese Albert reached base three times Sunday – a double, his second home run of the season and a walk. Lacey had three extra-base hits, including his solo home run in the ninth inning that provided the final margin.
FSU took its first lead of the weekend in the first inning on Cabell’s RBI single. After Duke scored a run in the first and second innings off starter Conor Grady for a 2-1 lead, Albert hit a two-run home run to left field for a 3-2 lead FSU would not relinquish. Dylan Simmons had a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning to double the lead to 4-2.
The Noles put the game out of reach in the eighth inning, scoring a run on Jackson Greene’s bunt single and Cabell’s grand slam.
Anderson entered in the third inning after Grady’s fourth walk of the day. He allowed just one infield single and a walk while lowering his season earned run average to 0.87.
Robby Martin had a pair of hits and scored two runs. FSU allowed just four hits to the Blue Devils, with Chris Dutra recording two of them. Duke struck out 12 times, the 13th time in 15 games FSU pitching has struck out at least 10 batters.
Jack Carey (1-1) allowed four runs on eight hits as Duke’s starting pitcher.
NOTEWORTHY
- Florida State’s three home runs are its most in a game this season.
- Reese Albert hit his second home run of the season, a two-run home run in the third inning. Albert added a double in the fifth inning, his fourth multi-hit game of the season.
- Elijah Cabell had five RBI Sunday – a first-inning RBI single and a grand slam in the eighth inning. Cabell has hit 7 of FSU’s 13 home runs this season and matches his freshman total (7 in 58 games). He recorded 6 RBI on the weekend after entering third nationally with 22 RBI.
- All nine of FSU’s starters reached base at least once, with Robby Martin, Elijah Cabell, Reese Albert and Logan Lacey having multiple hits.
- Sunday’s game snapped a streak of five straight one-run games for FSU, tied for the longest stretch in program history (2011).
- Logan Lacey made his second start of the weekend and fourth of the season. The junior hit his second and third doubles of the year and his first home run.
- Jack Anderson won his second straight appearance, also entering in relief and earning the win last Saturday against FAU. Anderson has allowed just one earned run in 11.1 innings this season.
- Duke’s triple in the second inning was the first allowed by FSU this year.
- Chase Haney appeared for the 11th time this season and 106th time in his career, tying him for fifth in FSU history in relief appearances and eighth in total appearances.
UP NEXT
Florida State travels to No. 1 and undefeated Florida (16-0) Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Neither team has named a starting pitcher. Florida is the last remaining unbeaten team in the country.
Over the past two years, FSU has beaten two teams that were at least 10-0 or better – NC State in 2019 (19-0) and Mercer in 2020 (11-0).
Fans can watch the game on SEC Network +, listen on the radio in Tallahassee on 106.1 FM or nationwide through the FSU Gameday App.
