His Florida State baseball team had scored five runs or more in just three of its last nine games.

So when Mike Martin Jr. watched the Seminoles jump out to a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning Tuesday night against rival Florida, he had a feeling this night was going to be different than most during a trying two-week stretch.

"A couple of home runs in the first inning never hurts," Martin Jr. said with a smile.

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Powered primarily by those two blasts to left field -- a two-run shot from Alex Toral and a solo homer from Brock Mathis -- the Seminoles cruised to a 5-0 victory before a crowd of 5,916 at Dick Howser Stadium.

FSU (19-13) didn't mount much offense after that first inning, but it didn't need to.

Starter Jonah Scolaro and relievers Conner Whittaker, Wyatt Crowell and Davis Hare combined to hold the Gators to zero runs on two hits. They struck out 14 UF batters.

"Played well defensively. Pitched the heck out of it," Martin Jr. said. "And it was a fun ball game. Did a lot of things well."

Florida State came into the game having lost seven of its last nine contests, thanks in large part to a stagnant offense.

The Seminoles were shut out by Georgia Tech in their most recent game this past Sunday, and they scored just three runs on Friday.

But before Tuesday's battle with UF (21-12), Martin Jr. encouraged his players to stop over-analyzing every pitch and just play the game. He said several of the Seminoles had been suffering from "paralysis by analysis."

"Let's get simplified, let's compete, and let's go," Martin Jr. said of his pregame message. "And they took it to heart."

Senior Reese Albert actually got FSU going in the first with a great at-bat that culminated with a walk after 11 pitches.

Two batters later, Toral took an outside fastball to the opposite field for a two-run homer. Then designated hitter Brock Mathis hammered a 2-0 pitch over the left-field fence for back-to-back homers.

The Seminoles added two more runs in the inning and then cruised from there.

Among the many positive aspects of the win, Martin Jr. said he was "ecstatic" by the enthusiasm and positive energy he saw from the team throughout the night. That hasn't always been the case during the Seminoles' recent struggles.

"It's been a rough patch," Martin Jr. said. "We've got to keep plugging."

Scolaro, who typically works out of the bullpen, was given the start on Tuesday because normal midweek starter Carson Montgomery was experiencing "stiffness" in his shoulder.

The senior left-hander came through beautifully, allowing just one hit and striking out five in 3 1/3 innings. Whitaker did the same over the next 3 2/3 innings, then Crowell and Hare closed things out with one scoreless inning apiece.

With the win, FSU evens its overall season series with UF at one victory apiece. The Gators won the first game in late March in Jacksonville, and the teams will play a third and deciding game on May 17 in Gainesville.

Next up for the Seminoles is a home series against ACC foe Louisville. The first game is set for Thursday at 7 p.m.

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