FSU CHOKES IN CLUTCH TIME
Florida State baseball falls to the Oregon State Beavers by a score of 5-4 in extra innings on Friday night. There is no way to sugarcoat this article and make it sound optimistic. This was a choke job, plain and simple.
The Seminoles were looking to capture Game 1 of the Super Regionals on the road as they held a 4-1 advantage in the bottom of the ninth inning. The bullpen for Florida State has been sensational lately, but it has been a disappointment for the majority of the season for the program.
Relief pitcher Joe Charles came in relief for pitcher Joey Volini in the seventh inning with two outs. Charles was cruising in the contest until the ninth inning hit.
IS FSU BASEBALL CURSED?
The unthinkable happened. The bottom of the ninth started with a double in center field. However, Charles settled in as he forced a strikeout and a groundout to leave the Beavers with a runner on second base with two outs.
Fans know that crazy stuff happens to Florida State in postseason baseball, and that notion did not disappoint as the Beavers forced a walk, then a single occurred where the bases were loaded with two outs, and it was 4-1 Florida State.
I praised Florida State head baseball coach Link Jarrett for starting Joey Volini in the game, but I thought this should have been a moment in the contest when he pulled Joe Charles out of the matchup. However, he kept him in the game, which led to a wild pitch and then a single to force the game to extra innings.
Once that occurred, it was destined that Florida State would lose in extra innings. The Seminoles have the most Regional and College World Series appearances and have never won a national championship. I used to think it was funny to suggest that the program was cursed, but after what transpired today, individuals might be on to something.