TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida State scored early and often Saturday, leading 7-0 through three innings in an eventual 9-5 win over Wake Forest on Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium. The Seminoles (28-14, 14-9 ACC) notched 12 hits, with three coming off the bat of Drew Mendoza, including his team high 13th home run. Wake (25-19, 11-12 ACC) struck out 17 times, with 11 by FSU starting pitcher CJ Van Eyk.
Van Eyk (6-3) was effectively wild Saturday, striking out a career-high 11 while issuing five walks. The sophomore right-hander gave up four hits, including a three-run home run in the fifth inning, but rebounded to strike out the side. Van Eyk has won three straight starts.
Mendoza’s four RBI were a season high, and Reese Albert, Nander De Sedas and Mat Nelson also had two hits for the Seminoles. FSU has scored 22 runs the first two games of the series.
FSU scored twice in the first inning off Wake Forest starter Jared Shuster (4-3). Mike Salvatore led off with his 12th double of the season and Albert singled off Shuster’s leg to put runners on the corners. Mendoza lined an RBI single to center field to score Salvatore before J.C. Flowers reached on a bunt single to score Albert.
Leading 2-0, FSU added five runs in the third inning on four hits, two walks and a pivotal Wake Forest error that led to three unearned runs. Nelson hit a bases loaded single to score two runs, Cabell singled in a run, Albert had his team-high fifth sacrifice fly of the year and Mendoza hit his second RBI single of the game for a 7-0 lead through three innings.
Van Eyk ran into trouble in the fifth inning, surrendering a walk and a single before Chris Lanzilli hit his 11th home run of the season to cut the score to 7-3. He recovered to strike out the side and finished with 11 in the game, a career high.
Salvatore drew his career-high third walk off Tyler Witt in the fifth inning before Mendoza’s two-run home run put FSU up 9-3. Mendoza’s three hits and four RBI were season highs.
Jonah Scolaro earned his first save of the year, pitching the final four innings in relief. The sophomore left-hander gave up two runs on Lanzilli’s second home run of the game but also tied a career high with 6 strikeouts.
For the Demon Deacons, Lanzilli and Patrick Frick combined for five of the team’s six hits. Lanzilli had all five RBI on his two home runs.
OF NOTE
- Mike Salvatore hit his 12th double of the season, one behind Robby Martin for the team lead. He also set a career high with three walks.
- Drew Mendoza set a season high with three hits and tied his season high with four RBI. He had two RBI singles and a two-run home run, his 13th of the season.
- Mat Nelson tied his season highs with two RBI and two hits. In April, Nelson is hitting .357 and his average has jumped from .210 to .256 in that span.
- CJ Van Eyk struck out 11 batters in 5.0 innings Saturday, a career high. His previous high of 10 came in 7.1 innings against Miami in 2018.
- Jonah Scolaro pitched 4.0 innings out of the bullpen, tying a career high with six strikeouts and earned his first save of the season.
- Since returning from an injury last Thursday at Virginia, Reese Albert is hitting .407 (11-for-27) with eight runs scored, six RBI, two triples, a home run and four walks.
- Florida State has won three straight ACC series for the first time this season. The Seminoles have won the season series against Wake Forest for the first time since 2015.
- Chris Lanzilli had two home runs and all five of Wake Forest’s RBI Saturday. He is the first player with a two-home run game against FSU this season.
UP NEXT
The series finale between Florida State and Wake Forest takes place Sunday at 1:00 p.m. on Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium. RHP Conor Grady (6-3, 3.12 ERA) will make his first weekend start for the Seminoles, while Wake Forest will throw RHP Ryan Cusick (5-2, 6.90 ERA).
