Trailing late in a storied rivalry, the Seminoles staged a dramatic eleventh-inning comeback to stun the Hurricanes after a power surge wiped away Miami's commanding lead.
In the most played series in Florida State baseball history, the Miami Hurricanes came into Dick Howser Stadium looking for a win and bragging rights.
The Seminoles took round one 7-6 on a walk off bases on balls in the bottom of the 11th inning.
For the first three innings, Florida State starting pitcher Wes Mendes kept Miami off the scoreboard with five strikeouts and no runs on just two hits.
In the top of the fourth inning, with the Seminoles ahead 1-0, Mendes gave up a three-run home run to Miami’s Alonzo Alvarez to put the Hurricanes up 3-1 and changed the momentum of the game.
Another Miami run scored on a fielder’s choice to make the score 4-1. Miami (35-16, 15-13 in ACC) added insurance runs in the seventh to take a 6-3 lead into the ninth inning.
But in a rivalry that has festered for 75 years, Florida State (37-15, 18-10 in ACC) would not go quietly into the night.
Mendes, on a pitch count, was yanked in the 7th inning after throwing 96 pitches, allowing four runs on eight hits and no walks. He was replaced by reliever Cade O’Leary.
O’Leary’s first offering of the inning was a hit by pitch. Then he loaded the bases with no outs, which prompted a visit to the mound by pitching coach Micah Posey. O’Leary was quickly replaced by reliever Kevin Mebil. Mebil gave up two earned runs.
The specter of not having ace reliever John Abraham available against the Hurricanes hung over the Seminoles bullpen like a black cloud of baseball misery.
The Hurricanes starter, Rob Evans, countered with seven strikeouts of his own and had better command of his pitches and the strike zone, as his day was over with seven innings of work.
Evans frustrated the Florida State offense all game long, with one earned run and inducing three double plays at critical times in the game.
John Stuetzer got one of those runs back on a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth. It was Stuetzer’s seventh home run in the last five weeks.
Not to be outdone, Brayden Dowd launched a solo homer of his own over the right field wall in the very next at-bat to cut the lead to 6-3. It was Dowd’s 10th home run of the season.
In the bottom of the ninth, in their last at-bat, Eli Putnam blasted a pinch-hit, three-run home run to tie the game at 6-6.
In the top of the tenth, Seminoles reliever Chris Knier came in and retired the side with two strikeouts and a ground out to set up a potential walk-off opportunity for the Seminoles in the bottom of the tenth.
Seminoles had a chance when Brody DeLamielleure singled to extend his hitting streak to 15 games. The speedster Chase Williams was inserted as a pinch-runner. Williams advanced to second on a passed ball. Then Williams attempted to steal third base while the Miami pitcher held the ball and was easily thrown out.
That play gave the Hurricanes the second out of the inning and killed the scoring threat for the Seminoles. Then catcher Nathan Cmeyla was thrown out attempting to steal second to end the inning.
Knier struck out the side to give the Seminoles one more chance as they moved to the bottom of the eleventh inning.
Florida State put runners at the corners with two outs and Stuetzer at the plate. Stuetzer was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Dowd with a chance to drive in the winning run. But he did not have to. Miami walked in the winning run on ball four, and first baseman Ben Barrett strolled across the plate for a 7-6 victory in walk-off fashion.
How to Watch Game 2
Date: Friday, May 15
Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
Location: Dick Howser Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida
TV: ACC Network Extra
Radio: 100.7 FM WFLA
