A Jamie Arnold gem helps FSU kick off Greenville tourney with win over MSU
Jamie Arnold has shown a little bit of everything early this season as a Florida State pitcher, from total dominance to the ability to rack up strikeouts and more.
He got the chance to put a new trait this season on display in the Seminoles' opening game of the First Pitch Invitational in Greenville, S.C. Saturday afternoon: an ability to come through in the clutch.
Michigan State got quite a few hits off of Arnold, seven of them over his six innings of work. But the Spartans were hitless (0 for 6) with runners in scoring position against the sophomore lefty.
This paved the way for Arnold to extend his streak of innings without an earned run to 17 innings to start his 2024 season. It also paved the way for the Seminoles (8-0) to remain unbeaten as they ran away with a 11-2 win over the Spartans (4-6) at Fluor Field.
Arnold struck out seven batters over his outing vs. MSU and issued no walks, his second start with no walks early this season. Over his first 17 innings of work this season across three starts, Arnold has allowed one unearned run, 10 hits and only two walks with 27 strikeouts.
The FSU offense didn't need nearly the strong showing it got from Arnold as the Seminoles scored early and often against the Spartans Saturday afternoon.
They took a 2-0 lead in the second inning when four straight Seminoles reached base and added another run in the third on an RBI single from Daniel Cantu.
Cam Smith made it 5-0 in the sixth inning on a two-run inside-the-park home run which bounced off the right-field fence and away from the outfielder. It was the first inside-the-park homer for an FSU batter since James Ramsey had one back in February of 2011 vs. Hofstra and Smith's second homer of the season.
Jaime Ferrer added his first homer of the season, a solo shot in the eighth inning to make it 7-0 at that time before McGwire Holbrook brought in FSU's final two runs on an RBI single to right.
Holbrook and Cantu each had three hits to lead the Seminoles Saturday afternoon. FSU had 13 total hits as a lineup and walked eight times, covering up a season-high 13 strikeouts in the win.
While Michigan State didn't enter Saturday's game with an especially impressive record, the Spartans had won their last three games entering the FSU matchup, including a 19-6 win at Georgia on Wednesday and a 13-3 run-rule victory over Western Michigan Saturday morning in Greenville.
Up Next
FSU concludes Saturday's doubleheader in Greenville Saturday night vs. Illinois. The game is projected to begin at 7:30 p.m., but it may start later than that as it is the fourth game of the day set to be played at Fluor Field.