Weekend Series Recap: FSU continues to find ways to respond when they need it the most.
The #17 ranked Florida State Seminoles baseball team won their weekend series against the Louisville Cardinals, improving to a 22-4 record overall and a 5-4 record in ACC play.
GAME RESULTS
Game 1 - FSU: 8 | UL: 3
Game 2 - FSU: 2 | UL: 5
Game 3 - FSU: 9 | UL: 4
RECAP AND NOTABLE PLAYERS
Game 1
Scoring:
Louisville jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in this game due to a solo HR from right-fielder Isaac Humphrey and an RBI single from JT Benson. However, FSU responded with an unearned run scored by Max Williams because of a throwing error by Louisville SS Gavin Kilen. Drew Faurot would tie the game at two a piece with an RBI single in the home half of the 4th inning.
*Enter Marco Dinges*
In the bottom of the 5th inning, DH Marco Dinges stepped up to the plate and proceeded to crush his first ever GRAND SLAM, affectionately known as a "Dinges Dinger", to give the Noles a 6-2 lead. After a Luke Napleton RBI single in the top of the 6th, Dinges came back with an RBI double in the bottom of the 7th, bringing DeAmez Ross across the plate as Ross made his first appearance since March 15th, after suffering a lower body injury, to make it a 7-3 game. Dinges had a career high five RBIs on the day.
Jaxson West would put the game on ice with an RBI single in the bottom of the 8th.
Cam Leiter toed the rubber for another start to begin this weekend series. He struggled with his command early in the game, but settled down and got his stuff going as he picked up his fifth win of the season, now 5-1. Leiter finished his day with 5.2 innings pitched, 12 Ks, 3 BBs, and 2 ER.
Joe Charles took over for Andrew Armstrong in the 7th after Armstrong faced only four batters. Charles was gifted bases loaded with zero outs in the top of the 7th, which is about the furtherst thing from ideal there is. Charles would go on to strike out the first two batters he faced and got the third to ground out, ending the inning with NO RUNS SCORED. Charles went nine up and nine down, not allowing a hit from inning seven to nine. He finished the day with 4 Ks giving him 14 on the season.
In the post game presser, Head Coach Link Jarrett said, "The difference in this game was Joe Charles". You can say that again coach.
Game 2
Scoring:
The Noles bats struggled early...and late. As a team, FSU batted .265 which is the second lowest average of the season (.148 against Stetson on March 19th). They also did themselves no favors committing four errors on the day, one of them leading to a run scored.
In the top of the 1st, Louisville CF Zion Rose would scored the game's opening run due to a wild pitch from Jamie Arnold. Logan Beard would go on to hit a two-run homer in the 2nd giving the Cardinals a 3-0 lead. In the 5th, Zion Rose would capitalize on a throwing error and score for the second time of the game. Eddie King Jr., LF, would follow that up with double allowing Luke Napleton to score the Cards' fifth run of the game.
The Noles would only manage to plate two runs the rest of the game coming from Marco Dinges and a Cal Fisher RBI single in the bottom of the 9th. FSU dropped game two 5-2.
Marco Dinges was one of very few highlights on the FSU offense and continued his great series going 3-4 with a triple on the day. Freshman Cal Fisher also played well in his limited opportunities. In two at bats, he walked and picked up an RBI single.
At the post game interveiws, Coach Link Jarrett discussed first pitch discipline being an issue throughout the game. FSU had a large amount of pretty uncompetitive at bats and quick outs. Jarrett said, "I look for the same thing every time we go out and play. Bat to bat, play to play execution". The Noles just didn't execute the way they wanted to this game.
Pitching:
Despite picking up his first lost of the season, Jamie Arnold played fairly well. Through six innings, Arnold had 7 Ks (leads the team with 60 on the season), 2 BBs, and only one earned run. Arnold allowed only a .143 batting average against during his time on the mound, as well. He just really didn't get the help he needed from the guys in the outfield. A few errors combined with the two walks allowed a dangerous base running team like Louisville, who leads the ACC in steals, to play to their strength and they did. The Cards stole five bases in this game.
Louisville pitcher Evan Webster had it going this game. Through six innings, Webster had 8 Ks, 2 BBs, and gave up one ER. He refused to give the Noles' explosive offense favorable pitches as FSU hit I don't know how many ground balls directly to Louisville's second basemen and shortstop. When they did get a piece of a pitch, the ball dropped comfortably into the glove of the Lousiville outfielders. Have to give credit to Webster for keeping an offense like the one we've seen from FSU in check.
Tough to win a game with sloppy defense.
Game 3
Scoring:
The Noles would enter their first rubber match of the season on Saturday.
DeAmez Ross made his first start since March 15th and Freshman Cal Fisher would make his first career start at SS. Both made instant contributions to the Noles' success.
Some Louisville wild pitches early in the game gave the Seminoles opportunities to capitalize and get runners into scoring position. They did just that.
FSU struck first as Cam Smith doubled and brought DeAmez Ross home and jump out to a 1-0 lead. Louisville responded with a run in the 2nd and the 3rd to take a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the inning. James Tibbs III did what he does best and crushed a ball over the right field fence for his team leading 11th HR of the year and took the lead back. This came at a time that felt absolutely crucial as the Noles' bats seemed to be a little flat.Louisville tied the game again at 3 a piece right before Cal Fisher hit his second home run (a two run homer) of the season. The excitement was very visible as Fisher gave the crowd an emphatic first bump while running the bases. Noles lead 6-3.
The score would remain the same up until an RBI single from Jaime Ferrer and a Macro Dinges two RBI triple in the bottom of the 7th. FSU now leads 8-3.
The Cardinals would add one more unearned run in the top of the 8th, but DeAmez Ross sealed the game with and RBI in the bottom of the same inning. Noles win 9-4.
Tibbs III finished the series strong going a perfect 4-4 with 2 RBIs. Cal Fisher continued to make the most of his opportunities, as well, going 2-4 with 2 RBIs of his own.
FSU finished the day batting .364 and .300 with RISP. Much better.
Pitching:
Conner Whittaker made the start and picked up his fourth win of the season. He went five innings with 5 Ks, 1 BB, and 3 ERs. Whittaker has proven to be a ground-ball merchant. He doesn't strike a lot of guys out, but has a keen ability to get batters to hit balls into favorable positions for his infielders to make plays. Even on some of the runs he gave up, they were ground balls hit just out of reach for the infielders to make a play.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
All three games were played on absolutely beautiful days. I was lucky enough to be able to attend all three games, and had the opportunity to work during the third one. There is the age old saying of "win and they will come" and that sure has proven true for the Noles. They keep winning and the fans keep coming. Howser has to be one of the biggest home field advantages in the country; major props to the animals in section B.
A lot of really good things to take away from this series. FSU trailed at one point in all three of the games and, for the most part, found a way to respond. "Response" has been the theme for all the games this week and I think this team has taken it to heart. After a tough game on Friday, they could've let the mistakes continue to build and take them off course, but they didn't. They cleaned up their mistakes and won their first rubber match game of the season.
Something else that I have noticed, and it continued this weekend, is that almost every series a certain player goes off, and it's always someone different. The game on Tuesday, it was Daniel Cantu. This weekend it was Marco Dinges, Jaime Ferrer has had some big games too. This is so crucial to a teams success because when your main hitters, like Smith and Tibbs III, are having those off games, you are going to need someone to step up. Time and time again, FSU has had someone that does that.
Joe Charles is emerging as Coach Jarrett's go to guy when the Noles get into tough situations on defense. Charles was thrown into two very unfavorable positions and gave up zero runs. He actually have up zero hits. That's super impressive. It seems that this Joe Charles emergence amidst all the questions surrounding the bullpen is a sign of hope. I think the bullpen in its entirety performed well this weekend. In the two wins I think the bullpen only allowed one maybe two runs to score. That's the formula of winning baseball.
There are definetly still things for the team to improve on. Just being more consistent and maintaing poise for the entirety of games will be necessary for this team to be really good. Cannot afford another 4 error game, especially against some of the ranked teams they play down the road.
Great weekend. Now the Noles shift their focus to the Jacksonville Dolphins on Tuesday.
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