BOX SCORE: BOSTON COLLEGE 8, FLORIDA STATE 5
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Having two things happen at once, at least so far, appears to be a theme for the No. 2 Florida State baseball team this weekend.
FSU opened Atlantic Coast Conference play with an 8-5 loss Friday to Boston College at Dick Howser Stadium. The defeat snapped FSU's six-year streak of winning its conference opener.
It also broke the Seminoles' (11-3, 0-1 ACC) nine-game winning streak.
"Baseball is certainly, as we've talked about before, things are not going to go your way every night," Seminoles coach Mike Martin said. "All you expect out of your team is they go out there and compete. And we did that."
Sophomore starting pitcher Cole Sands allowed one hit through two innings until the Eagles (6-6, 1-0) reeled off six straight hits to take a 5-0 lead in the top of the third.
FSU, in the bottom of the third, cut the lead to 5-2. Junior shortstop Taylor Walls, who was 1 of 4 with 2 RBI, led off with a hit-by-pitch and scored when junior third baseman Dylan Busby hit his second home run of the season.
Sands (2-1) would rebound to throw three scoreless innings. He was removed after six innings, having given up five runs on eight hits.
He was replaced by reliever Steven Wells, who allowed two runs to give the Eagles a 7-2 lead. FSU would add three in the bottom of the seventh. Walls hit a two-run home run while sophomore catcher Cal Raleigh, who was 2 of 4, scored Busby off a double to left center.
BC, which has played the last two weeks in the state of Florida, scored another run in the top of the ninth. FSU's attempt at a rally never started as Eagles reliever Donovan Casey recorded a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
"We're not trying to say get one here or five here. We're just trying to play ball. We're a big-inning team," Walls said. "The [BC five-run inning in the third] really didn't mean anything to us. We're just as capable of doing it. There's no added pressure or change of mindset."
