GAME ONE
Florida State had its best offensive performance of the season, with 14 hits, 10 walks and four hit by pitches in a 16-6 win over FAU. After falling into an early 3-0 hole, FSU scored six runs in the fourth inning to turn the tide.
Florida State’s starting pitcher Bryce Hubbart lasted just 1.1 innings, allowing a pair of solo home runs in the first inning. Jack Anderson (1-0) earned the first win of his career, throwing a career-high 4.2 innings in relief. The sophomore allowed just two hits and one unearned run while tying his career high with four strikeouts.
Freshman Tyler Martin reached base five times against the Owls, with a double, triple, two walks and a hit by pitch. Robby Martin had three hits – a double and a pair of two-run doubles. Robby Martin had two hits in the fourth inning, the first Seminole with two hits in an inning since Quincy Nieporte in 2017.
FSU added a run in the fifth, then three more in the seventh and six in the eighth inning.
FAU starting pitcher Dante Visconti allowed three runs in 3.2 innings pitched; the Owls bullpen gave up 10 hits and 13 runs in 4.1 innings.
Five Seminoles had at least two hits; five players scored at least two runs and four players had at least two RBI. The 14 hits tied a season high.
NOTEWORTHY
- Freshman LHP Bryce Hubbart and freshman catcher Doug Kirkland each made the first starts of their careers.
- Sophomore Jack Anderson threw a career-high 4.2 innings against the Owls, giving up just one hit and one unearned run. He tied a career-high with four strikeouts and earned his first career win.
- Robby Martin had a pair of hits in the fourth inning – a leadoff double and a two-run single. His three doubles lead FSU and he is the first Seminole with two hits in an inning since Quincy Nieporte against Pacific on May 6, 2017.
- Tyler Martin tripled in the fourth inning to tie the game. It was his first career triple and the second triple for a Nole this year. He had an RBI double in the fifth, his third of the year, and reached base five times.
- FSU has outscored opponents 23-0 in the fourth inning, the only frame the Noles have held opponents scoreless.
- FSU’s three-run deficit matched its largest of the season, also coming back from three down to beat USF on February 18.
- Elijah Cabell was hit by a pitch for the 11th time in nine games. He has been hit by a pitch three times this weekend and entered the weekend one shy of the national lead. As a freshman, Cabell ranked fourth in the ACC with 13 HBPs.
- Cooper Swanson entered the game in the sixth inning and hit his 10th career home run, and first of 2020, in the eighth inning.
- FSU’s 14 hits tied a season high (Niagara, February 15).
GAME TWO
Texas Tech tied the game in the ninth inning on a home run and took the lead in the 11th inning on a throwing error to secure a 6-5 win Saturday night. Robby Martin finished 4-for-6 and Mat Nelson had a two-run double while the Seminole pitchers combined to record 19 strikeouts.
Shane Drohan struck out a career-high 9 in 4.2 innings pitched for the Seminoles. FSU took a 4-1 lead in the fourth inning on Nelson’s two-run double and an RBI single from Robby Martin, but a pair of fielding errors in the fifth allowed Texas Tech to tie the game with three unearned runs.
The Noles took a 5-4 lead in the sixth when Cooper Swanson reached on a bunt single, stole second and scored on Tyler Martin’s RBI double.
The 5-4 lead held until the top of the ninth inning, when Texas Tech’s Dru Baker hit a one-out home run off Parker Messick (1-1) that tied the game. Messick struck out five in 3.1 innings pitched and was still on the mound in the 11th inning when Texas Tech scored on a throwing error by Carter Smith, FSU’s fourth miscue of the game.
Florida State loaded the bases in the bottom of the 11th but Smith flied out to deep center field to end the game. John McMillon (1-0) earned the win, keeping FSU off the board over the final 2.1 innings with seven strikeouts.
FSU relievers Chase Haney, Jonah Scolaro and Davis Hare each pitched scoreless innings for FSU in relief of Drohan.
NOTEWORTHY
- Shane Drohan struck out the side in the second inning (all looking). It was the sixth time this season, by six different pitchers, that FSU has had a three-up, three-down, three-strikeout inning. Parker Messick against USF is the only other pitcher that struck out all three looking.
- FSU outscored Texas Tech 3-0 in the fourth inning and have outscored opponents 26-0 in that frame on the season.
- Shane Drohan struck out a career-high nine batters in 4.2 innings pitched. As a staff, FSU K’d 19 batters, reaching double digits in all 10 games this year. Parker Messick’s five were also a career high.
- When FSU and Texas Tech met in the 2019 College World Series, the Red Raiders won 4-1 and the Noles managed just three hits. Saturday, FSU had 13 hits and reached base 19 times (4 walks, HBP, strikeout/wild pitch).
UP NEXT
Florida State and Texas Tech will play Sunday at 1:00 p.m. RHP Conor Grady (2-0, 0.90 ERA) looks for his third win of the season for the Seminoles.
