TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Seminoles.com) — Pitchers Parker Messick and Jack Anderson combined to allow just two runs in No. 20 Florida State’s (22-15) 3-2 win against Troy (20-20) Friday night at Dick Howser Stadium. Messick (5-2) won his third consecutive start, working around a career-high nine hits with nine strikeouts, while Anderson earned his first career save with 2.2 innings of relief.
Elijah Cabell hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning that gave FSU a 3-0 lead and proved to be the winning runs. Cabell has a home run in three consecutive games and a career-high 11 on the season.
Messick did not walk a batter and had nine strikeouts through the first six innings. In the seventh, Troy notched four hits against Messick and the only out was on a double that Robby Martin turned into an outfield assist on an out at the plate. Anderson allowed an RBI single to trim the lead to one but forced a pop up to end the inning.
Anderson struck out three batters Friday and has a 37-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio on the season. He has 35 strikeouts since his last walk.
Garrett Gainous (6-4) matched Messick with 6.1 innings and nine strikeouts. The Troy ace allowed six hits and three earned runs. Lance Johnson and Max Newton out of the Troy bullpen combined to surrender just one hit in 1.2 innings.
Tyler Martin singled to start the game and moved to second on a stolen base. Logan Lacey bunted Martin to third and the Seminoles nabbed a 1-0 lead on Mat Nelson’s sacrifice fly, his nation-leading 55th RBI of the year.
Cabell’s home run scored Messick, who also started in the designated hitter spot. The left-hander had walked on four pitches before Cabell turned a 2-2 pitch into an opposite field home run.
After Logan Cerny’s RBI single against Anderson cut the lead to 3-2, Anderson retired the final seven batters of the game for his first career save.
The Seminoles and Trojans will play game two of the series Saturday at 2:00 p.m. LHP Bryce Hubbart, tied for the team lead with Messick with five wins, will start on the mound for the Seminoles.
OF NOTE:
- Freshman pitcher Parker Messick threw 6.1 innings and struck out nine batters, with two runs allowed. It was his 10th consecutive start with at least 5.0 innings pitched and two or fewer earned runs allowed. Messick now has 91 strikeouts on the season, No. 2 in the ACC, and his season ERA of 2.45 is best in the conference.
- Jack Anderson struck out three batters Friday and has a 37-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio on the season. He has 35 strikeouts since his last walk.
- Messick and Anderson did not walk a batter Friday. It was the third time this season, and the first since a March 7 game against Virginia, that FSU did not walk a hitter.
- Tyler Martin singled to open the game and has successfully reached base in 48 of his 51 career starts. He leads FSU with 40 runs scored this year.
- Mat Nelson had a sacrifice fly in the first inning and has 55 RBI this year, the most in the country. Nelson’s single in the fifth inning extended his career-long hitting streak to eight games.
- Nelson threw out his 13th base runner of the season. He has thrown out 50 percent (13-of-26) of attempted basestealers this year.
- Elijah Cabell hit his 11th home run of the season, a two-run blast in the fourth inning. Cabell has a home run in three straight games. Cabell and Nelson (19) have the most home runs for a duo in the country (30).
- Florida State has hit a home run in 28 of 37 games this season and 19 of the past 20. The Noles lead the ACC with 59 home runs this season.
- Robby Martin started a 9-6-2 out at the plate in the sixth inning. The third-year sophomore has three outfield assists this season and four for his career.
- Jackson Greene reached base on a single in the seventh inning. He has reached base in a career-high nine straight games.
- The Seminoles improved to 16-2 when scoring first and 13-4 when scoring in the first inning.
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).
