In his first game back since his two-game suspension, Florida State junior shortstop Taylor Walls had both good and bad moments in his team's 7-6 win over Florida Gulf Coast on Tuesday at Dick Howser Stadium.
FSU's All-America shortstop was pulled after the first inning of the Seminoles' 5-2 loss to North Carolina in 11 innings on Saturday. Seminoles coach Mike Martin said after the game Walls was indefinitely suspended for disciplinary reasons.
The school issued a release late Sunday morning stating Walls' suspension would only be two games and would be available to play the Eagles on Tuesday. Walls was 1 for 5 but would score the game-winning run to help the Seminoles snap their four-game losing streak.
"He had some good at-bats," Martin said of Walls. "He's still got some things to work out. We all do. With where we are in the schedule now, we've just got to bear down and keep plugging."
Martin penciled Walls into his usual leadoff spot, and Walls was given a strong round of applause by the 4,038 fans scattered throughout Howser. He worked Eagles pitcher Mario Leon to a 3-1 count only to go down on a strikeout.
Walls was aggressive in his next at-bat. He swung at the first pitch and flew out to left field. He was a bit more patient in his third plate appearance. Walls worked to get another full count, only to ground out to second.
He later picked up a big single on a 1-2 to count to lead off the bottom of the ninth. He would score on a Jackson Lueck RBI double to right.
