FSU baseball: Jamie Arnold shines, Noles look for series sweep Sunday

FSU baseball improved to 5-0 with an 8-4 win over the Western Carolina Catamounts to clinch the series win. The Noles will go for the series sweep on Sunday. Jamie Arnold got his second win of the season, mowing down WCU batters through six innings. He only allowed one hit, and two walks, 11 strikeouts on 84 pitches. Arnold was demonstrative throughout his outing, showing great emotion and intensity. He and Cam Leiter have made a great 1-2 punch early in the season. That intensity seems to give the team an edge they haven't had since Parker Messick and Bryce Hubbart toed the rubber. Freshman Hudson Rowan got some work and got hit around pretty well in 1.1 innings. He allowed three earned runs, three walks, three strikeouts, and two hits. Veteran Brennan Oxford pitched 1.1 innings with four strikeouts, one walk, and one hit allowed.

All of WCU's offense came in the top of the eighth inning with FSU leading 8-0. The FSU offense pounded out 15 hits. DeAmez Ross went 2-3 with two RBI. Jaime Ferrer went 2-4, Drew Faurot and Jaxson West had three hits and drove in three runs. FSU scored runs in the third, fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. Faurot had two doubles and a triple, and West had a double and a triple. The FSU offense only had two strikeouts in the game and drew two walks. FSU played a clean sheet defensively, including an incredible catch in centerfield by DeAmez Ross.

The Noles will play the third and final game Sunday at 1 p.m. The game will air on the ACCNX channel and can be heard on WFLA 100.7 FM. Yoel Tejeda will start the game for the Noles on Sunday. It will be his first appearance in the garnet and gold after transferring from the rival Florida Gators.