Ferrer's walk-off HR gives Seminoles series win over N.C. State
All the good feelings that the Florida State baseball team built up with last weekend's series win at Wake Forest and Saturday's 13-5 romp over N.C. State looked like they would be spoiled on Sunday afternoon during a marathon day of baseball.
And a marathon day of swinging and missing.
But in the 17th inning of the nightcap of a doubleheader, and after having struck out five times already, freshman Jamie Ferrer hit a walk-off homer to right-center to give the Seminoles -- who lost the first game on Sunday 15-4 -- the series win over the Wolfpack.
The 6-5 victory lifted the Seminoles' record to 13-6 overall and 4-2 in the ACC.
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"It was honestly more of a sense of relief than anything," said Ferrer, who had a four-hit game in Saturday's win. "I struggled. Early in the game I got a hit, but I didn't have the best at-bats in big situations.
"Everyone in the dugout was like, 'Hey, you're going to come up in a big situation. Be confident in yourself and you're going to come through.' Seeing the ball go over was an amazing feeling."
Florida State set a school record with 28 strikeouts in the finale. In fact, the two teams had 54 combined strikeouts in the game, which is a new NCAA record.
But all those Ks were just the precursor to Ferrer's heroics.
For the second straight Sunday, lefty Ross Dunn was terrific on the mound for the Seminoles. He pitched six innings and gave up five hits and two runs (zero earned) while striking out nine and walking two.
But again, the FSU bullpen squandered a lead.
Jonah Scolaro gave up a game-tying homer in the top of the eighth inning to knot the game at 3-3.
Davis Hare came in after Scolaro and was outstanding for the second Sunday in a row, pitching 3 1/3 innings and allowing one hit and no runs while striking out seven.
But it didn't matter while he was shutting down the N.C. State offense because FSU's lineup could do nothing with N.C. State's bullpen.
Brett Roberts had a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the fifth and Jamie Ferrer then scored all the way from first when the throw from the left fielder got away from the catcher and bounced toward the N.C. State dugout.
Those three runs were all the Seminoles could muster for the next six innings.
Because N.C. State reliever Chris Villaman, who had an ERA over 6.00 coming into the game, struck out 12 in five scoreless innings.
The Villaman-Hare dual ended when FSU reliever Jackson Nezuh entered the game in the 12th. He allowed a two-run homer to Devonte Brown that seemed like the final nail in the Seminoles' chances of winning the series.
But with nobody out and a runner on first, Alex Toral obliterated a pitch deep over the screen in right and deep into the night to tie the game at 5-5. As soon as he it, Toral hurled his bat toward the N.C. State dugout and stared it down as he walked toward first.
"It was great," said relief pitcher Wyatt Crowell. "It was a lot of fun. I wasn't sure if NC State was going to start running after him after the bat came close to the dugout, but they didn't.
"That definitely got us all fired up."
Crowell then shut down the Wolfpack over the next five innings, setting the stage for Ferrer's bomb to end it.
"I am really excited for those guys," FSU head coach Mike Martin Jr. said. "They deserve something like that. ... Shoutout to the fans for sticking around."
There was absolutely none of that kind of drama in the first game as N.C. State star Tommy White hit two homers and the Wolfpack roughed up starter Bryce Hubbart and the FSU bullpen to the tune of 16 hits -- including seven extra base hits.
Hubbart had his worst outing of the season, allowing seven hits and six runs (four earned) in six innings of work.
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