On April 12, Florida State University (FSU) baseball played the University of Florida (UF) in a one-night-only affair, their first home game since a disappointing weekend at Georgia Tech. The Seminoles lost that series 2-1, but bounced back on Tuesday with an impressive win over the Florida Gators.
The storied rivalry between FSU and UF baseball dates back to their first game in April 1956. The Gators won that game 4-3. This April matchup was the second meeting between the two teams this season. On March 29, the teams met for the first time at a neutral site in Jacksonville, Florida. The Gators won 6-3. The Seminoles evened the season series Tuesday night with a 5-0 victory and an unbeatable offense.
The game got off to an exciting start with back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the first inning. First baseman Alex Toral homered to left field with a runner already on base, giving the Noles an early 2-0 lead. Brock Mathis followed suit with a solo home run in the designated hitter (DH) spot, bumping the lead to 3-0.
Third baseman Logan Lacey singled, which brought in one runner and advanced another. Lacey was thrown out attempting to steal second base, but this resulted in scoring a run, giving the Noles the 5-0 lead that they were able to maintain for the rest of the game.
Left-handed pitcher Jonah Scolaro had a promising outing in only his second career start. While he is normally utilized out of the bullpen, Scolaro made his start in place of right-hander Carson Montgomery, who was struggling with shoulder tightness and was ultimately scratched from the lineup. Scolaro struck out five and allowed no runs in his 3.1 innings pitched.
Freshman Connor Whittaker also had a great outing, coming in after Scolaro to pitch 3.2 innings with five strikeouts and one walk. He would be followed by sophomore Wyatt Crowell striking out two in the eighth inning. Davis Hare closed the night out for the Seminoles in the ninth with two strikeouts of his own.
After the buzz of the first inning, neither team allowed the other to score. There were opportunities for both the Gators and the Seminoles to add to the scoreboard, but smart plays and strong throws prevented either team from doing so. Florida recorded two hits and one error, while the Noles racked up seven hits and had no errors.
This is a promising result for the Seminoles as they continue their journey to the college baseball playoffs and the College World Series. A dominant win over a ranked team shows just how great the team can perform when all goes right. The Noles remain ranked No. 5 in the ACC.
Come out and support the Noles once more this weekend as they kick off a series against No. 9 Louisville on Thursday at 7 p.m. If you are an FSU student, don’t forget your student ID to get in free! You can find the Seminole baseball schedule here.
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