Noles Win Series Finale at Miami

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Sparked by J.C. Flowers’ sixth home run and earning his sixth save, Florida State (19-12) beat Miami (20-12) 6-5 Sunday afternoon at Mark Light Field in front of 2,781 fans. It was the fourth time this season that Flowers has hit a home run and earned the save in the same game.

Box Score

Flowers also had an outfield assist as FSU’s starting centerfielder, saving at least one run, and added an RBI on a sacrifice bunt that tied the game in the fifth inning.

Conor Grady (5-3) earned the win, striking out the only batter he saw to end the seventh inning. The bullpen of Jonah Scolaro (3.1 IP, 0 ER), Grady and Flowers (2.0 IP, 1 ER) allowed just three hits in 5.2 innings of relief.

Shane Drohan allowed seven hits and four earned runs in his seventh start of the season.

Florida State took its first lead of the series in the third inning on doubles from Alec Sanchez and Mike Salvatore. Sanchez made his first start in right field and the double was the first of his career. Salvatore leads FSU with 29 RBI and has nine doubles on the season.

The Hurricanes answered in the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs on a walk, two doubles and an RBI single from Freddy Zamora. Miami tried to add to its lead, but Adrian Del Castillo’s lineout to centerfield turned into a double play when Flowers threw out the runner at home to end the frame.

Flowers led off the fourth inning with his sixth home run of the season, tying the game at 2-2. Two batters later, Jonathan Foster hit his second home run of 2019 off Brian Van Belle.

After Sanchez singled and Carter Smith walked, Miami brought in Albert Maury to retire Salvatore and end the inning.

Drohan allowed a two-run home run to Michael Amditis in the fourth inning to end his day with FSU trailing 4-3. Scolaro retired both hitters he faced in the fourth. In the fifth, Scolaro allowed a single, a walk and an intentional walk but Miami did not scratch a run across. He allowed just one hit in 3.1 innings of work.

Against Maury in the fifth, Nico Baldor, hitting in the two-hole for the first time against his former team, reached on Miami’s first error of the weekend and advanced to third on Drew Mendoza’s second single of the game. Flowers’ sac bunt tied the score at 4-4.

FSU broke the tie with a pair of unearned runs in the 8^th. Nander De Sedas singled and Foster reached on a fielding error while attempting to sacrifice bunt. Sanchez, who entered Sunday with three hits on the season, got his third hit of the game, a bunt single to load the bases with no outs.

Baldor reached on a two-out throwing error from Zamora at shortstop for the second time, scoring De Sedas and Foster for the FSU lead.

Flowers allowed his first run of the season, a two-out ninth inning home run from Zamora, but Del Castillo grounded out to second base on the first pitch he saw to end the game. On the year, Flowers has allowed one earned run in 13.2 innings.

OF NOTE

• C. Flowers has homered and earned the save in the same game four times this season. Entering 2019, only two Seminoles had accomplished the feat even once in their careers – Buster Posey in 2008 and Mike McGee in 2010. Nationally, Aaron Schunk of Georgia has done so twice this season.
• Flowers threw out his second baserunner this season and seventh of his career to end the 3^rd He added a sac bunt to score Nico Baldor in the fifth inning.
• Flowers hit his sixth home run of the season, tied with Elijah Cabell for second on the team (Drew Mendoza has eight). Flowers had two home runs combined in his first two seasons.
• Prior to the game, the City of Coral Gables recognized head coach Mike Martin with a proclamation in honor of his 40-year career as Florida State head coach. Former FSU Board of Trustees member Les Pantin helped spearhead the movement.
• Alec Sanchez entered the game with three hits on the year, the third coming as a pinch hitter Saturday against the Canes. Sunday, Sanchez was 3-for-4 with a double (scored a run) and two singles.
• Mike Salvatore doubled twice Sunday, his first scoring Sanchez. Salvatore is tied for the team lead with 29 RBI in 31 games; in 2018, Salvatore had 27 RBI in 62 games. His 9 doubles are second on the team, behind only Robby Martin’s 12.
• Jonathan Foster hit his second home run of the season and third of his career two batters after Flowers to give FSU a 3-2 lead.
• Elijah Cabell earned his second outfield assist in the fourth inning.

UP NEXT

Florida State closes the season series against Florida, hosting the Gators Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. on Mike Martin Field at 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).