⚾: Noles Sweep Doubleheader, Win Series vs. Pitt

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida State won both games of a doubleheader Sunday, sweeping Pitt 15-6 in a suspended game from Saturday and 12-6 in the series finale. FSU (30-16, 16-11 ACC) has won four straight Atlantic Coast Conference series and is a season-high 14 games over .500.

FSU hit a combined .397 in the final two games of the series, with 27 runs on 29 hits.

Game 1 – FSU 15, Pitt 6 (resumed from Saturday)

The game began Saturday before twice being stopped due to weather. After 21 minutes, the game was halted in the bottom of the first inning for two hours and 49 minutes. The teams played 44 more minutes before a second and final weather delay that pushed the conclusion of the game to Sunday.

Box Score

All told, five Seminoles had at least three hits, J.C. Flowers hit two of FSU’s five home runs and FSU had a season-high 20 hits in the 15-6 win on Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium. The Noles 20 hits were its most in an Atlantic Coast Conference game since 2008 (21 at Wake Forest).

On the mound, CJ Van Eyk struck out 10 batters in just 3.0 innings before the game was suspended. Conor Grady (7-4) earned the win, pitching three innings in relief.

Robby Martin gave FSU a 3-0 lead in the first inning, hitting a three-run home run as the first batter after the first rain delay. Flowers hit his 10^th home run against Dan Hammer (3-5) before Pitt scored two against Van Eyk in the third inning. Van Eyk struck out 10 batters in just 3.0 innings Saturday, thanks to a wild pitch strikeout in the first inning. Van Eyk did not return for Sunday’s resumed game.

Pitt brought out Chris Gomez to start Sunday, allowing an RBI single to Mat Nelson in the third inning to extend FSU’s lead to 5-2. The Panthers countered against Grady on Connor Perry’s solo home run, but a one-out triple did not score after two groundouts ended the fifth inning.

Nico Popa doubled to score Sky Duff in the fifth inning, an unearned run after Duff reached on an FSU fielding error. The Panthers first two batters of the seventh singled and Florida State brought in Jonah Scolaro to get out of trouble. The sophomore left-hander got the next three batters out on a fielders choice, a strikeout and a ground out to end the inning.

Reese Albert singled off the first base bag in the bottom of the inning and scored on Mendoza’s double off the centerfield wall. After Nelson’s team-high seventh sacrifice bunt scored Mendoza, Flowers took the first pitch he saw for a two-run home run, his second of the game (and first of the day). FSU led 9-4 through seven innings.

Flowers pitched a scoreless eighth inning and FSU added six runs against William Kirwan to ice the game.

OF NOTE

• The game began on May 4 and the first rain delay started at 1:27 and lasted until 4:16 (2 hours, 49 minutes). The second started at 5:00 and lasted until the game was suspended at 7:28 (2 hours, 28 minutes). The game resumed May 5 with FSU leading 4-2 in the third inning.
• FSU’s 20 hits were its most in a game this season and most in an Atlantic Coast Conference game since getting 21 at Wake Forest on March 28, 2008.
• CJ Van Eyk was the first Seminole this season to strike out four batters in an inning. Van Eyk did it in the first inning; Cobi Johnson last accomplished the feat for FSU in March 2018 against Kansas. After the delay, he struck out the side in the second and third innings and finished with 10 strikeouts in 3.0 innings pitched.
• Reese Albert singled in the first inning, extending his hitting streak to 7 games and his on-base streak to 13 games, both careers highs. Albert hit his fifth home run of the year in the eighth inning.
• Mat Nelson tied a career high by reaching base in 11 straight games. Nelson’s average has jumped 70 points since the beginning of April, from .210 to .280. His three hits set a career and his seven sacrifice bunts are more than half of FSU’s 13 as a team.
• Robby Martin was the first batter after the first rain delay and hit a three-run home run, his fourth of the season. Alec Sanchez pinch hit for Martin to start Sunday and tied a career high with three hits.
• J.C. Flowers homered twice in the game, one Saturday and one Sunday. He has 11 home runs on the season (second on team) and it was his second multi-HR game this year (vs. Clemson, April 13). With 10 saves, he joins Mike McGee in 2010 (17 HR, 13 SV) as the only Noles to get at least 10 home runs and 10 saves in the same season.
• FSU hit five home runs in a game for the second time in 2019.
• Mike Salvatore doubled in the fourth inning, his team-high 14^th of the year, breaking a tie with Martin. He has reached base safely in 13 straight games, tying a career high.
• Drew Mendoza walked twice, including his seventh intentional walk of the year. Mendoza entered the weekend fourth nationally with 50 walks. He also was 3-for-3 at the plate, reaching base in all five plate appearances, and scored a career-high four runs.

Game 2 – FSU 12, Pitt 6

The Seminoles capped Sunday with a 12-6 win to claim the series victory. After Pitt took a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning, Florida State scored 11 runs in inning four through six to take command.

Box Score

Jonah Scolaro improved to 3-0 in the win, throwing 2.1 innings in relief without allowing a hit. Shane Drohan allowed a pair of runs in 3.2 innings pitched as the starter.

Drew Mendoza had three hits in the game to go along with a sacrifice fly. For the weekend, Mendoza hit .800 (8-for-10) with six runs scored, five RBI and three walks. His average jumped from .289 to .321 on the weekend.

After Pitt took a lead against Drohan in the fourth, the Noles immediately responded in the bottom of the inning with a Mat Nelson RBI single and a sacrifice fly from Nico Baldor. FSU broke out for five runs on three hits and a pair of Panther errors in the fifth.

In the sixth inning, FSU extended its lead to 12-2 with four more runs on two hits – an RBI single from Mendoza and a two-run single from J.C. Flowers. Nelson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score another run.

Robby Martin had two hits for FSU, pushing his season total to 52. Mike Salvatore had three of FSU’s six walks.

For Pitt, nine different players had one hit each, including back-to-back home runs from Connor Perry and Nico Popa in the eighth inning to trim FSU’s lead to 12-5.

OF NOTE

• Mike Salvatore doubled to start the game, his team-high 15^th of the year. He has reached base safely in 14 straight games, a career high.
• Mat Nelson hit an RBI single in the fourth inning, tying the game at 2-2. He has reached base in a career-high 12 straight games.
• Drew Mendoza added four RBI in game two, taking the team lead with 44 on the season. For the series, Mendoza hit .800 with six runs scored, five RBI, three walks, a 1.000 slugging percentage and an .833 on-base percentage.
• Jonah Scolaro pitched in all three games against Pitt. His 20 appearances are one behind Chase Haney, who pitched the seventh inning, for the team lead.

UP NEXT

Florida State will play its sixth doubleheader of the season Tuesday against Jacksonville, beginning at 2:00 p.m. in Dick Howser Stadium.

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).