After an early power surge, the Seminoles' bats went cold as Tigers' relievers retired twelve straight, setting the stage for a dramatic eighth-inning wild pitch victory.
In the first three innings of game 2 with Clemson, Florida State swatted two homes runs, courtesy of Brayden Dowd and Brody DeLamielleure to jump out to a quick 3-0 lead. That is where the offense ended for the Seminoles.
The Clemson pitching staff, led by Michael Sharman, Danny Nelson (2-3) and Hayden Simmerson, turned the Florida State bats into toothpicks, combining for 12 strikeouts and holding Seminoles scoreless over the final six innings.
Relief pitcher Nelson retired 12 straight Florida State batters to keep the game close enough for Clemson to strike at the right moment.
That right moment came in the bottom of the eighth with a runner on third for Clemson. Florida State reliever Cade O’Leary threw a breaking ball in the dirt that bounced away from catcher Hunter Carns and allowed the runner to score from third to take a 4-3 lead.
In the top of the ninth, Clemson reliever Hayden Simmerson, protecting a one-run lead, struck out all three Florida State (35-15, 16-10) batters he faced to secure the 4-3 victory for Clemson (30-21, 9-17) to even the series at 1-1. Simmerson earned his fourth save of the season.
No. 12 Florida State managed eight hits, ending a streak of four consecutive games with double-digit hits. The usually highly-productive left fielder John Stuetzer went 0-for-4 at the plate. Stuetzer’s offense was sorely missed in the loss on Saturday.
Florida State starting pitcher Trey Beard lost control of his cartoonish, but devastatingly effective, change-up and the rest of his pitching repertoire to give up five hits, three earned runs, and one walk in five innings of work. Beard did register four strikeouts.
However, the Seminoles were able to make the top Clemson hitter, Nate Savoie, a non-factor in the game. Savoie has gone 0-for-8 at the plate in the series.
With the loss, the Seminoles will feel a little pressure after winning six straight games. Game 3 on Sunday will be an opportunity for Florida State to still win the series and regain some momentum before hosting the Miami Hurricanes on Thursday, May 14 in the final ACC series of the regular season.
How to Watch Game 3
Date: Sunday, May 10
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
Location: Doug Kingsmore Stadium, Clemson, South Carolina
TV: ESPN 2
Radio: 100.7 FM WFLA
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