TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – No. 16 Florida State (12-5) won for the third straight game Wednesday, beating Illinois State (7-9) 7-4 Wednesday evening at Dick Howser Stadium. FSU pounded out 14 hits, including a pair of home runs from junior outfielder Reese Albert, while Dylan Simmons broke a 4-4 tie in the seventh inning with a two-run double.
Chase Haney (3-0) pitched 2.1 innings in relief to earn the win in his 107th career appearance.
Albert doubled his season home run total with solo shots in his first and second plate appearances Wednesday. Both blasts came against Illinois State starting pitcher Jack Anderson – a tying home run in the second inning and a go-ahead homer in the fourth inning. It was Albert’s second career multi-home run game and first since the 2019 Super Regional against LSU.
The Redbirds struck first Wednesday against Seminole starter Bryce Hubbart on Tyson Hays’ RBI single. Hubbart pitched 2.1 innings, giving up a run and recording four strikeouts.
FSU scored three runs in the fourth inning to take a 4-1 lead and end Anderson’s day. After Albert’s home run, Mat Nelson pinch hit and lined an RBI double and Tyler Martin legged out an infield single that scored Nelson.
Illinois State scored a single run in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to tie the score at 4-4. In the bottom of the seventh, FSU scored the final three runs of the night on Simmons’ two-run double and Nander De Sedas’s bunt single. Colin Wyman (0-1) gave up a hit and a walk to the two batters he faced.
Haney struck out four and did not allow a hit in his 2.1 innings pitched. Six FSU pitchers combined to strike out 15 Illinois State batters.
NOTEWORTHY
- Logan Lacey made his second consecutive start at third base. He had his fourth multi-hit game and stole his third base of the year.
- Reese Albert hit a pair of home runs Wednesday – a 407-foot home run that tied the game in the second inning and a 388-foot blast that gave FSU the lead in the fourth. Albert entered the game with two home runs on the season and now has 20 for his career.
- It was Albert’s second career multi-HR game. His first was in Game 1 of the Baton Rouge Super Regional at LSU last season.
- Albert (3-for-3, BB) and Dylan Simmons (2-for-2, HBP, BB) both reached base in all four plate appearances. Those two, plus Tyler Martin, Logan Lacey and Elijah Cabell each had multiple hits.
- Bryce Hubbart made his third start of the season, throwing 2.1 innings with a career-high four strikeouts.
- With three runs on Wednesday, Florida State is now outscoring opponents 31-1 in the fourth inning.
- Robby Martin notched the first outfield assist of his career with a 9-4-5 assist in the fifth inning. It was FSU’s second outfield assist of the year.
- Chase Haney recorded the final out of the seventh inning, making his 107th career appearance. The redshirt senior ranks fifth in FSU history in relief appearances and is eighth in total appearances.
- FSU’s pitching staff combined to strike out 15 batters, the 14th time in 16 games the Noles have reached double digits.
UP NEXT
Florida State hosts Georgia Tech for three games this weekend, starting Friday at 6 p.m. Saturday’s game is at 6 p.m., with Sunday’s finale at 1 p.m.
Fans can watch all three games on ACC Network Extra, listen on the radio in Tallahassee on 106.1 FM or nationwide through the FSU Gameday App.
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).
