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Noles Complete Four-Game Sweep of MSM

Noles Complete Four-Game Sweep of MSM
Noles Complete Four-Game Sweep of MSM
Posted 4:00 AM, May 14, 2018

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – No. 13 Florida State (37-16) led 13-0 after two innings en route to a 22-0 win over Mount St. Mary’s (20-29) Sunday afternoon at Dick Howser Stadium. The Seminoles notched 19 hits, 12 walks and was hit by a pitch twice Sunday and outscored the Mountaineers 52-4 over the four game sweep.

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The win was FSU’s largest shutout victory since a 34-0 win over Marshall in February 1996. Over the four games, FSU outscored the Mountaineers 52-4, notched 49 hits, 17 doubles, nine home runs, hit .392 as a team and drew 34 walks with a .530 on-base percentage. The pitching staff allowed just three earned runs (four total) in 32.0 innings for a 0.84 ERA and had a 37/8 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

FSU pounded Mount St. Mary’s for the fourth straight game, getting home runs from Drew Mendoza, Steven Wells, Jackson Lueck and Kyle Cavanaugh. Mendoza and Cavanaugh combined to hit 9-for-11 with 10 RBI. The Noles scored nine runs in the second inning, its most in a frame this year, and all nine starters reached base at least once in the first two frames.

Mendoza hit 4-for-6 with five RBI, a season high. Cavanaugh went 5-for-5 with five RBI, including a grand slam in the eighth inning, his second career home run. Cal Raleigh extended his hitting streak to eight games, one shy of his career best, in his 177th consecutive start.

Cole Sands (7-2) took a perfect game into the fifth inning and allowed three hits, a walk and struck out five over 77 pitches.

Sands allowed three consecutive singles to start the fifth inning before notching a pair of strikeouts and a ground out to keep the shutout intact.

Senior Will Zirzow made his first appearance of the season in the seventh inning. Zirzow had been sidelined with an arm injury for much of the year, though Martin hinted earlier in the week that the Fleming Island native could appear this weekend.

Zirzow, Shane Drohan, Tyler Ahearn and Cobi Johnson combined for three shutout innings out of the bullpen without allowing a hit. The Mountaineers loaded the bases again in the ninth inning on two walks and a hit batter, but Johnson forced a fly out to center field to end the game.

Winning Score

Cal Raleigh grounded into a double play in the first inning, but Rafael Bournigal scored to give FSU a 1-0 lead.

Of Note
  • FSU improved to 5-0 on its season-ending eight-game homestand.
  • Drew Mendoza and Steven Wells hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning. It was both players sixth of the year. FSU has hit back-to-back home runs four times this season (Mendoza and Wells also did it against Stetson, April 18).
  • Mendoza added a two-run double and an RBI single. His five RBI set a season high.
  • FSU’s nine runs in the second inning were a season high. The Noles have had 25 “big innings” (at least four runs) in 2018, including three on Sunday.
  • Cal Raleigh singled in the second inning, extending his hitting streak to eight games, one shy of his career high. His average has jumped from .283 to .326 in that span.
  • Reese Albert also singled in the third inning to tie his career high with a five-game hitting streak. Albert hit in the cleanup spot for the first time in his career.
  • All nine FSU hitters reached base at least once in the first two innings.
  • Jackson Lueck hit his 14th home run of the season, and third of the weekend, in the fifth inning.
  • Kyle Cavanaugh set a career high with five hits. His grand slam in the eighth inning was his second career home run and FSU’s third grand slam of the season.
  • J.C. Flowers tied a career high with three walks.
  • Largest shutout since a 34-0 win against Marshall in February 1996.
  • Thirteen of FSU’s 15 players in the batting order scored at least one run, including all nine starters.
  • The win was FSU’s fifth shutout of the season and second of the weekend.
Up Next

Florida State hosts NC State to close the regular season. The series will begin Thursday, May 17 at 6:00 p.m.