FSU Baseball sweeps doubleheader against The Citadel

The No. 21 Florida State baseball team got great pitching and just enough offense to record a sweep of The Citadel on Saturday. After winning the first game 6-2, the Seminoles scored a 2-1 walk-off victory in extra innings of the nightcap.

FSU loaded the bases in the 10th inning of that game with one out, and Myles Bailey hit a ground ball to second base that could not have led to a double play. So The Citadel’s second baseman fired home, but his throw was off the mark, and speedy Chase Williams scored the winning run.

The win improved Florida State’s record to 7-2, while The Citadel fell to 4-4.

The Seminoles will go for the series sweep on Sunday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.

GAME 1 Report (From Florida State Sports Information)

In the first game of a doubleheader, the No. 21 Florida State baseball team defeated The Citadel 6-2 on Saturday at Dick Howser Stadium.

The Seminoles (6-2) scored six unanswered runs, including four in the sixth, after the Bulldogs (4-3) took a 2-0 lead in the fifth. FSU’s six runs came on eight hits, while The Citadel was held to two runs on three hits. Florida State had two errors and the visitors had one.

Redshirt senior second baseman Eli Putnam, making his first start as a Seminole, notched his first hits and RBIs at FSU with a two-hit, two-RBI game. Sophomore third baseman Gabe Fraser had a hit with a season-best two RBI and two runs scored. It was Fraser’s two-RBI single in the sixth that gave the Florida State the lead.

Junior left-handed starter Wes Mendes improved to 3-0 on the season. In 6.0 innings, he allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits with four strikeouts and a walk. Junior right-hander John Abraham came out of the bullpen for the final 3.0 innings and did not allow a baserunner. While earning his first save of the season and third of his career, Abraham struck out three.

Mendes retired the first six batters he faced. A leadoff walk in the third was The Citadel’s first baserunner, but a groundout ended the inning and stranded a runner on third. A double play helped eliminate a baserunner in the fourth after a leadoff single for the Bulldogs’ first hit.

The Citadel took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning, with an error and a run-scoring single. One of the two runs was unearned.

FSU responded with a run in the bottom of the fifth, as Putnam grounded out to score Fraser to make it 2-1.

Mendes capped his outing with a 1-2-3 sixth inning, ending it with a strikeout.

The Seminoles then scored four in the bottom of the sixth to take a 5-2 lead. Two walks and an error loaded the bases, and a sac fly from freshman designated hitter Kelvyn Paulino Jr. tied the score at 2-2. With two outs, Fraser gave FSU the lead for the first time. His single through the right side brought home two. Putnam then singled up the middle to drive in Fraser and cap the four-run, three-hit inning.

Abraham relieved Mendes to start the seventh and fired back-to-back perfect innings.

Florida State added one more in the eighth, as freshman left fielder John Stuetzer singled home the Seminoles’ sixth and final run of the contest.

Abraham completed his perfect three innings, and closed out the win, with a one-two-three ninth inning, using just six pitches to retire the side.

Game 2 Report (From Florida State Sports Information)

The Florida State baseball team completed the doubleheader sweep with a 2-1, walk-off win in 10 innings over The Citadel on Saturday afternoon at Dick Howser Stadium.

Going to extra innings for the first time this season, the Seminoles (7-2) took advantage of a throwing error on a fielder’s choice ground ball to bring home the game-winner. While scoring two runs on five hits, three FSU pitchers held the Bulldogs (4-4) to one run on three hits in the 10-inning contest.

Junior left-handed starter Trey Beard, making his first start of his Seminole career, threw 5.0 innings and gave up just two hits with six strikeouts and a walk. The one run he allowed was unearned. Sophomore righty Cade O’Leary followed with 2.0 innings of one-hit ball before redshirt junior lefty Kevin Mebil tossed the final 3.0 innings. While earning his first FSU win, Mebil allowed just one baserunner, on an error, and struck out four.

Redshirt senior catcher Nathan Cmeyla led the team with three hits. Sophomore first baseman Myles Bailey had one hit and drove in the game-winning run, junior pinch runner Chase Williams.

With the victory, Florida State improves to 11-1 all-time against The Citadel, all in Tallahassee.

In the 10th inning, Cmeyla led off with a single and was pinch-ran for by Williams, who quickly stole second. After a walk, a fielding error loaded the bases for Bailey with one out. On a 3-0 pitch, Bailey hit a grounder to second. The second baseman threw home for the force-out, but his throw was off line to allow Williams to slide in safely.

FSU took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on an infield single by Cmeyla. Sophomore third baseman Gabe Fraser scored on the play with the help of a throwing error.

The Citadel tied the game at 1-1 in the third on a sacrifice bunt with a throwing error following a one-out walk. With a runner on second, Beard got a pop-up to limit the damage. Back-to-back outs left a runner on second in the fourth, and a pickoff-caught stealing helped Beard get out of the fifth to end his first appearance at Howser.

Florida State got two on in the fifth, but a groundout ended the inning. O’Leary stranded two in the seventh.

Consecutive hit batters put two on in the ninth with no outs for the Seminoles, but a strikeout and two flyouts halted the threat to send the game to extras. Mebil got a groundout in the top of the 10th to leave a runner on second before FSU walked it off in the bottom half.

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