FSU Baseball closed out part three of its wild weekend trilogy in Coral Gables park with record high temperatures, hot bats for Miami, and zero runs for the garnet and gold. The  #13 Miami Hurricanes ( 31-13, 16-8 ACC) took down the #12 Florida State Seminoles (33-18, 16-8 ACC) 12-0 for this third and final outing of the rivalry series. The weekend started with a 17 inning marathon of a game that resulted in a 8-7 victory for the Seminoles (recap available here). After both teams had a collective few minutes of rest, Saturday’s game rolled around and Florida State bats caught fire in a 15-5 shellacking (recap available here) and FSU baseball took the series. With both teams utterly exhausted and with the sun seeming like it was three inches away from everyone’s face on a record breaking afternoon, the final game of the weekend series started.
The first of the four ‘Noles that took the mound Sunday afternoon was freshman Drew Carlton (3-2, 3.55 ERA, 45.2 innings pitched) and it was off to a rough start for the ‘Noles. After giving up a three run home run in the first to David Thompson, Florida State dug themselves into an early hole and were never able to catch back up.
This goes without saying that FSU baseball didn’t have opportunities to score, seeing as how in the previous game they were in a similar situation where they stumbled early but managed to come back and score a whopping 15 runs by the time the game was over. However, as with all things baseball related, a little bit of luck is required and much like batteries in children’s toys, it isn’t always included. The ‘Noles again ended innings with runners stranded in scoring position and UM managed to capitalize on it again and again.
FSU thought that a pitching change to LHP Bryant Holtmann early in the third would turn the luck around for them. However, Miami didn’t get the memo that the pitching change was meant to hinder them, not continue to supplement their batting averages. After a couple questionable pitches (one of which semi-cleared the benches, huge thanks to Danny De La Calle for stopping that from escalating more than it needed to) and giving up another three-run home run by Miami’s Willie Abreu, Holtmann was pulled shortly thereafter and was replaced by sophomore Alec Byrd.
By the sixth inning, the ‘Canes had scored in every single inning played. The ‘Noles were finally able to stop the offensive onslaught by the end of the sixth and held UM scoreless for that one specific inning but by then it was already too little and too late.
Will Zirzow made his second relief effort of the weekend as he pitched 1.2 innings and Steven Wells Jr. made his first ever collegiate appearance as he pitched the scoreless ninth inning and closed out the game for the garnet and gold. Â DJ Stewart finished the day as FSU baseball’s only player with multiple hits as he went 2 for 3 on the day.
The ‘Noles take a well deserved break after the Iditarod of a weekend series they faced these past few days that amounted to 35 innings of baseball in three days. The ‘Noles are set for a home series next weekend against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (pronounced shaunt-e-clears). Miami baseball gets a break as well as they prepare for a weekend series against Pitt in Pittsburgh.
