ATHENS, Ga. – No. 12 Florida State (4-3) could not keep the momentum going after a first inning home run by DJ Stewart. The Seminoles dropped game two of Saturday’s doubleheader falling 10-5 to Georgia (4-1) on Foley Field.
The Bulldogs completed Saturday’s doubleheader sweep handing Florida State its first non-conference regular season series loss on the road since the Noles dropped three straight at Hawaii in 2005. It's the first time that FSU suffered a pair of losses in Athens since the 2006 NCAA Regional.
“We were faced with something that we haven’t been faced with in the number of young guys that we had playing on the road,” Florida State head coach Mike Martin said. “It was a challenge; they learned a lot from it. We will take this lesson and try and get better.”
The Seminoles had their opportunities to add to their early lead. However, they left six runners stranded through the first four innings. FSU cut the lead to two with a three-run 7th inning, but the Bulldogs squashed any thoughts of a Florida State comeback adding two runs in the bottom of the seventh and one more in the eighth for the final margin.
“Some of the mental things we did tonight (were a little disappointing),” added Martin. “I don’t believe in any excuses but we did something that I was shaking my head about but that’s the way it goes. We are an inexperienced team that is going to get better.”
Cobi Johnson (1-1) picked up his first loss of the season. He allowed six runs, five earned, on seven hits in 4.0 plus innings of work. The Holiday, Fla., native finished his second career outing with two walks and three strikeouts.
Georgia’s David Sosebee (2-0) shook off a shaky start to earn his second win of the year. The Bulldog right hander finished his outing allowing two runs on five hits as he walked four and struck out eight.
Stewart and John Sansone paced the Seminole offense in game two of the double dip with two hits and two RBI apiece. Stewart and Taylor Walls both scored twice in the loss.
Trevor Kieboom and Keegan McGovern paced the Bulldogs 13-hit attack with three hits each. McGovern tallied three RBI, while Kieboom scored three runs.
Florida State wasted no time cracking the scoreboard in game two of the double header as Stewart went yard for his first home run of the season in the top of the first. Following a one-out hit to left center by Walls, Stewart took a 1-1 pitch from Sosebee out of the park to right center to give the Noles an early two-run lead.
The Bulldogs cut the deficit in half with a little long ball of their own in the bottom of the second. After Johnson recorded two quick outs to start the inning, Kieboom took a 3-1 pitch from the freshman right hander out of the park to left for his first home of the year.
Georgia put a three spot up in the fourth to grab a 4-2 lead. McGovern had the big hit of the inning lacing a two-run double just inside the bag at first. He later scored on a passed ball to give the Bulldogs a two-run cushion.
UGA added to its lead in the fifth with three more runs to take a commanding 7-2 advantage. The Bulldogs got an RBI single from Mike Bell chasing Johnson from the game. Alec Byrd came on and gave up an RBI single to right to McGovern and then a bases loaded walk to Stephen Wrenn.
The Noles cut the deficit to 7-5 in the seventh taking advantage of a Bulldog throwing error that led to three unearned runs off reliever Jared Walsh. With the bases loaded, Quincy Nieporte brought home the first run on a sac-fly to right. Sansone followed with a looping double just inside the foul line in right scoring Walls and Stewart.
Georgia pushed two across in the bottom of the seventh to grab a 9-5 lead. The Bulldogs manufactured both runs without collecting a hit taking advantage of three walks and a pair of fielder’s choice groundballs. The Seminoles used three pitchers in the inning as both runs were charged to Alex Deise. Jim Voyles faced a batter and Taylor Folsom came on to record the final two outs in the seventh.
Deise finished his first outing in a Seminole uniform allowing two runs on a hit as he walked one and struck out two in 1.1 innings of work.
Ed Voyles made his college debut on Saturday night recording the final two outs in the bottom of the eighth including a strikeout of Zack Bowers to retire the side.
***FSU Athletics
