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FSU Baseball Recap: Noles Drop Final Home Series to Wake Forest

By Ty Ragans

May 8, 2017; Baltimore, MD, USA; A Rawlings baseball, the Official Ball of Major League Baseball, sits on the field before a game between Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Patrick McDermott-USA TODAY Sports
May 8, 2017; Baltimore, MD, USA; A Rawlings baseball, the Official Ball of Major League Baseball, sits on the field before a game between Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Patrick McDermott-USA TODAY Sports /
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The weekend series was a big one for both FSU baseball and Wake Forest. In the end, two one-run wins allowed Wake Forest to take the series on the road.

FSU baseball could have benefited greatly from winning their final home series of the season against a Wake Forest team that entered the weekend number 11 in RPI. Unfortunately for the Noles they came up short winning just one of the three games. The two losses for FSU were close ones 4-3 in the first game and 10-9 in the rubber match.

The 1-2 weekend brings FSU’s record to 33-20 on the season and 12-14 in the ACC. FSU will have to sweep Louisville on the road to finish above .500 in the ACC. Louisville is coming off a sweep of Clemson and carries a 46-6 record, 29-2 at home.

Game One

Game one started on Friday night and was suspended due to rain in the bottom of the 5th with Wake leading 4-2. The game would resume Saturday afternoon, the Noles were able to tack on a run and hold Wake in check, but it wasn’t enough as they fell 4-3.

Cole Sands started on the mound for FSU. Sands didn’t allow a hit in the first three frames but Wake Forest’s potent lineup got to him shortly after. Sands finished with a line of 4.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K.

When the game resumed on Saturday, Andrew Karp took the hill for the Noles and performed well going 3.1 innings allowing just one hit and no runs. Alec Byrd recorded the final two outs.

Tyler Holton was the Noles best hitter in the game going 2-4 with a homer run, a run scored and 2 RBI. Jackson Lueck was 1-4 with an RBI double.

Game Two

Tyler Holton did damage with his bat in game one and with his arm in game two. The Noles scored four runs in the first inning, it would be the only runs they scored as well as the only runs they would need due to Holton’s performance.

Holton had some of his best stuff Saturday and it was a beautiful performance, his change up was nearly untouchable. Holton pitched a complete game, he allowed four hits, all singles, he allowed no runs, he struck out nine Wake Forest batters, and allowed zero walks. Remarkable performance.

Drew Mendoza was 2-3 on the day with an RBI. Quincy Nieporte was 1-4 with a run and two RBI of his own.

The Noles did not commit any errors for the second straight game.

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Game Three

Game three was a back and forth affair with plenty of offense. Wake Forest got off to an early lead. FSU was able to answer nearly every time but they had trouble holding the Wake bats down.

Wake took the lead in the first when they scored two runs on bases loaded walks by FSU starter Drew Parrish. FSU would take the lead in the bottom of the 2nd when Taylor Walls ripped a 2 RBI triple into the right corner followed by a perfect bunt single by Dylan Busby to score Walls.

Wake Forest retook the lead almost immediately on Bruce Steel’s three run bomb in the top of the 3rd. Wake would have another three run frame in the top of the 4th to stretch their lead to 8-3.

The Noles matched the three runs in the bottom of the inning thinks to a bases loaded walk of Dylan Busby and 2 RBI single from Quincy Nieporte, the lead was cut to 8-6. Drew Carlton would take the mound for FSU in the 7th and give up two runs to make it a 10-6 game. In the bottom of the inning FSU scored three of their own thanks to a two run bomb from Cal Raleigh and an RBI ground out from Walls. That was the last time the Noles would score a run as the game ended 10-9.

Quincy Nieporte lead the way with a 5-5 day, a career high in hits for him. Nieporte added two RBI and a run. Taylor walls was 2-4 with 3 RBI and two runs. Tyler Holton was 2-4 with three runs scored. Hindsight is 20/20 but one can only wonder if the staff is regretting not letting Holton hit all year.

The Noles didn’t commit an error all series but it still wasn’t enough.

FSU will have their work cut out for them when they head to Louisville for a three game series starting on Thursday. Check in with us for the series preview coming out that day.

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