Three-run ninth inning helps FSU baseball beat Jacksonville on the road
It seemed the Florida State baseball team could be headed towards disappointment in its first midweek game of the season.
Playing at Jacksonville in their first road game of the season, the Seminoles squandered early leads of 2-0 and 4-1 as the Dolphins came roaring back to tie the game entering the sixth inning.
FSU put an end to this upset bid with a three-run ninth inning which helped the Seminoles improve to 3-0 with a 7-4 win at JU's John Sessions Field. Designated hitter Jaime Ferrer was the hero for the Seminoles, with an RBI single to center which plated Cam Smith from second base as the eventual winning run.
FSU added two more runs on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly by Marco Dinges.
These late-inning heroics saved the Seminoles from a night where they struggled somewhat with runners in scoring position. FSU stranded eight runners on base in the win, five of them in scoring position.
Smith set up the winning run with a one-out double in the ninth inning. It was his third hit of the night and FSU's first extra-base hit of the game. Ferrer's RBI single was his second hit of the night.
First baseman Daniel Cantu had his first two runs batted in of his FSU career in the first inning with a two-run single.
Sunday starter Conner Whittaker was tasked with starting the midweek game after the Seminoles managed to play just two games over their weekend series vs. Butler.
Like each of the first two FSU starting pitchers of the season, Whittaker got off to an exceptionally strong start, retiring the first nine batters he faced. However, he allowed a hit in each of the final three innings he appeared in.
Whittaker allowed an unearned run in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly which came after a leadoff single and a throwing error on a stolen-base attempt which allowed the runner to go from first to third.
He allowed the first two batters of the JU fifth to reach before retiring the next three to escape. Then in the sixth inning, he was chased from his outing by a triple from Tanner Zellam which brought around a runner, who had previously walked, to score from first.
That run was the first earned run allowed by FSU starting pitchers this season over 15.1 innings of work. That runner on third Whittaker left for reliever Carson Dorsey came in to score, meaning the FSU starter allowed three runs (two earned) over 5.1 innings.
Dorsey allowed the inherited run to score and then allowed the tying run to reach and score as well. From there, though, the lefty settled in very well in his second career FSU appearance.
He threw the final 3.2 innings of the game after relieving Whittaker and recorded his final nine outs by way of the strikeout. He finished with 10 strikeouts over 3.2 innings, allowing one run on two hits and recording the first win of his FSU career.
The two FSU pitchers combined for 16 strikeouts and the Seminoles have struck out 52 batters in their first three games of the 2024 season.
Up Next
FSU returns home for another weekend series at Dick Howser Stadium vs. Western Carolina. The games are at 5 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and noon Sunday.