ACC Baseball Championships: Major takeaways from 'Noles explosive win over Virginia

No. 5 seed FSU baseball (41-14) moved past No. 4 seed Virginia with a 12-7 win behind another quality start behind pitching ace Jamie Arnold. FSU overcame an early one-run deficit with two runs in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 4-1 lead. However, it was an explosive seven-run inning in the top of the seventh that broke the game open. FSU scored several runs with two outs to take an 11-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh. However, Virginia would not go quietly into the night with Jamie Arnold out of the game. The Cavaliers scored five runs to trim the lead to 11-7, but James Tibbs hit a solo home run in the top of the eighth to make it 12-7. Brennan Oxford was outstanding out of the bullpen, pitching three innings, allowing two hits, one earned run, zero walks, and three strikeouts.

Tibbs led FSU with five RBI. Marco Dinges, Jaime Ferrer, and Daniel Cantu had two hits. Alex Lodise and Drew Faurot had three hits. The Noles pounded 16 hits overall and 8-16 with two outs, 7-14 with runners in scoring position, and went 4-9 leading off innings. The Noles batted .400 as a team and were 3-4 with runners on third base with fewer than two outs. The latter has been an area they've struggled all year, but they put it together after not showing much patience at the plate through the first two innings. Jamie Arnold went six innings, allowing four hits, two earned runs, one walk, and nine strikeouts. When the Noles get starting quality pitching and the offense shows like Friday, they can beat anyone in the nation. The Noles will take on the winner of the North Carolina/Wake Forest game on Saturday at 1 p.m. The game will air on the ACC Network.