Freshmen Lead FSU Baseball Past Jacksonville

No. 16 FSU baseball exacted some revenge on cross-state Jacksonville tonight, defeating JU 10-7 after losing for the first time in ten games against the Dolphins last week. Key to this victory were Florida State freshmen, who accounted for 7 of the Seminoles’ 9 RBIs, and 10 of the 11 FSU hits.

FSU didn’t waste any time in getting after Jacksonville in this one, as a revamped lineup paid immediate dividends. New leadoff man Taylor Walls drew a walk and stole second, and after Hayden Kelly walked, a balk by JU starter Jeff Tanner moved them each into scoring position for Dylan Busby, whose two-out hit staked the ‘Noles to a 2-0 lead.

Florida State lefty Bryant Holtmann got his second start of the season, each of which have come against the Dolphins. Last week, he pitched just three innings before leaving with a blister on his pitching hand, absorbing the loss after surrendering three runs on four hits and a pair of walks in three innings.

He got off to a better start today, keeping the ball down and inducing myriad ground-ball outs: 9 of the 12 outs he recorded were courtesy of grounders. A couple of those found holes to get Jacksonville a single run in the fourth, but the Seminoles responded in the inning’s bottom half. After Darren Miller doubled and Ben DeLuzio was hit by a pitch, Steven Wells’ double scored the former. After a pitching change to lefty Josh Baker, Danny De La Calle made it 4-1 with a sac bunt that brought home DeLuzio.

The Dolphins finally got to Holtmann in the fifth, chasing him after opening the inning with five straight hits. He left up 4-3 with the bases loaded and no outs. Freshman reliever Drew Carlton shouldered the burden nicely, allowing a run on a sacrifice fly before ending the threat on a 6-4-3 double play to escape with a 4-4 tie.

The tie would not last long. After the ‘Noles went 1-2-3 in the fifth, JU was right back at it in the sixth. JJ Gould walked, stole second, and scored the go-ahead run when Carlton’s throw to first on a bunt missed the mark. A couple batters later, a long fly ball to left tucked into DJ Stewart’s glove, only to pop out when he ran into the wall.

Once again, Jacksonville had the bases loaded, this time with one out. And once again, FSU manager Mike Martin went to the ‘pen, this time for southpaw Dylan Silva. The Dolphins continued their assault though, as Angelo Amendolare’s solid single up the middle made it 6-4. Silva limited the damage, however, striking out the next two hitters to escape the threat.

But a group of FSU freshmen got the ‘Noles back level in the bottom of the inning. Freshman Busby led things off with a double down the left-field line, and fellow rookie Miller topped him by banging his first-career homer off the left-field scoreboard. 6-6.

Wells, also a frosh, then singled and took third when De La Calle greeted new pitcher Spencer Stockton with a double. Wells scored on fellow freshman Walls’ base hit. JU then intentionally walked DJ Stewart, only to concede another run when Stockton plunked John Sansone (surprise).

The new guys were back at it in the FSU seventh. Busby again got on base, this time after being hit by a pitch. Miller’s third hit of the night gave the Seminoles a pair of base runners, and Busby advanced to third on a DeLuzio ground out, ultimately scoring on Wells’ sac bunt to push the Seminole advantage to 9-6.

Jim Voyles took the hill for FSU in the eighth and found trouble quickly. After a Walls error allowed the leadoff man to reach, an Amendolare double gave the Dolphins runners in scoring position. Martin went back to the ‘pen, summoning lefty Alec Byrd. He allowed a Connor Marabell single that brought the score to 9-7, but Byrd got the next three in order.

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The Seminoles collected an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth off reliever Nathan Disch. Walls’ single was followed by a walk to Stewart and Sansone again being hit by a pitch to load the bases with nobody out. Walls scored on a foul out and a throwing error to make it 10-7. Billy Strode pitched a scoreless ninth to close things out.

Martin spoke highly of the freshmen after the game, specifically their rapid growth: “It was really fun to watch the maturation process. . . We need 15 more games– and then, we’re not going to call them freshmen after that.” Said Miller of the newcomers’ role: “I think it was a good time for us to break loose. . . We feel like we have a value to this team.”

This was the first game in a 14-game home stand for FSU. The ‘Noles return to the diamond on Friday, when they’ll open a weekend series against UNC-Wilmington at 4 pm.

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