GAINESVILLE -- Entering Florida State baseball's game at Florida, the Seminoles had something to prove.

Yes, they had won each of their first 14 games. And, yes, they had scored seven or more runs in each of those 14 games, a program record.

And yet, there were still questions about how FSU's success would translate against tougher competition. So much so that one national outlet, D1Baseball, left FSU out of its top 25 rankings this week.

Consider Tuesday's game a message sent. The Seminoles (15-0) plated 12 runs on 13 hits, mashing the No. 8 Gators' pitching staff on the way to a 12-8 win at UF's Condron Family Ballpark, their first win in Gainesville since 2020.

It's the 10th time FSU has scored 10 runs in 15 games this season. And it's the first time FSU has scored 10 runs in a game at Florida since 2007.

"Clearly very proud of the guys. To walk in here against that caliber of team and essentially do things the way they had done them through the early part of the season was impressive," FSU head coach Link Jarrett said after the win. "Every phase of the game, I was impressed with how we handled ourselves."

FSU opened the scoring early with a three-spot in the second inning thanks to a sacrifice fly and a two-run error committed by Florida second baseman Cade Kurland on a grounder that should have been the third out.

The Seminoles added another run in the fourth that was set up by a hustle double from Drew Faurot and cashed in with an RBI single from Daniel Cantu.

FSU really broke the game open in the fourth inning on a three-run homer to right from right fielder James Tibbs III, his eighth home run of the season, to make it 7-0 Seminoles.

"When you can quiet it down a little bit and grab some sort of momentum, it's much more comfortable when you're playing with a lead. It opens some things up..." Jarrett said of the importance of a fast start. "It does give you more of an opportunity to breathe."

Florida responded with a five-run fourth inning to take a big chunk out of the FSU lead. All the runs were unearned thanks to a passed ball and four of them were scored on Kurland's grand slam.

However, FSU bounced back with five runs over the sixth and eighth innings to re-establish a seven-run lead at 12-5. The big hit over that stretch was a two-run double by shortstop Alex Lodise after Florida elected to intentionally walk the previous batter to bring him up.

FSU's trio of transfer infield additions (Faurot, Cantu and Lodise) made a major splash in their first game in the rivalry. They were a combined 7 for 10 with four doubles, five runs, five RBI and four walks.

"They just have good at-bats and a sense of what they're doing when they're up there..." Jarrett said. "You have to perform regardless of the opponent and the context in which you're competing. You just have to go play. Those three guys, they were nose to the grindstone and you saw some really good stuff."

Despite their individual efforts, it was an entire-lineup effort for FSU's offense, with eight of the nine members of the starting lineup coming through with at least one hit. On top of the 13 hits, FSU's lineup also worked nine walks against the Gators.

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On the mound, FSU turned to senior righty Andrew Armstrong for the start as it moves Sunday starter Conner Whittaker back to the weekend rotation. Armstrong allowed a hit in each of his first three innings, but escaped each time, holding Florida's potent lineup hitless in six at-bats with runners on base.

With no earned runs allowed over three innings Tuesday, Armstrong is up to 7.2 innings without an earned run to start the 2024 season.

"He had a little setback early (in the preseason) so we're trying to build the pitch count. That was about the end of it..." Jarrett said. "I can tell you when he goes out there and commands his fastball, has his changeup in play and can really rip the slider -- I know he's going to control the running game and field his position -- he gives you a lot of good options, whether he starts or we use him in leverage relief."

After Joe Charles couldn't get out of the fourth inning as FSU's first reliever, the Seminoles turned to Carson Dorsey. The first batter he faced was Kurland, who hit the groand slam off him, and the second was Jac Caglianone, who singled.

From there, Dorsey retired the next eight batters he faced, four of them by strikeout, finishing with no earned runs allowed over 2.2 innings of work.

The Gators plated three runs over the final two innings off freshman arms Hudson Rowan and Brady Louck, but the deficit proved too much to overcome. And while the two freshmen allowed three runs on two hits over 2.1 combined innings, they also recorded all seven of their outs by strikeout, stranding three batters over the seventh and eighth innings.

"We needed to get them involved in something like this. We had seen them do that against us. This is just a little different. The feeling, the adrenaline of coming into this environment," Jarrett said. "I thought Rowan had some key punchouts and Louck the same thing."

FSU's pitching staff struck out 15 Florida batters and UF was held to 3 for 15 (.200) with runners on base, stranding seven runners.

Up Next

FSU kicks off ACC play this weekend at home vs. Notre Dame. The first game of the series is set for a 6 p.m. start Friday night.

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