It’s the recipe that’s worked the best for Florida State baseball this season: Solid pitching and the long ball.
Behind another strong start from the ACC Pitcher of the Year, Parker Messick, and three home runs, the Seminoles came back from an early deficit to knock off Southern Miss 5-2 Friday in Game 1 of the Oxford Regional.
FSU will play again on Saturday night against the winner of Ole Miss-Southeast Missouri State.
The Seminoles got down early in the first inning thanks mainly to a pair of infield errors. The first four batters in the Southern Miss lineup reached against Parker Messick, but FSU’s lefty ace settled down after that and didn’t allow another Golden Eagle to touch home plate.
He went six innings and scattered seven hits and allowed zero earned runs.
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Meanwhile, after a slow start, the FSU offense finally found life in the sixth inning. Tyler Martin reached on a dropped fly ball by the right fielder.
After Southern Miss starting pitcher Hunter Stanley screamed at his teammate for the error, he subsequently gave up a two-run homer to Logan Lacey on an 0-2 pitch. He then walked Mat Nelson before Robbie Martin lined into a double play.
Elijah Cabell then hit his 15th homer of the season, again on an 0-2 pitch, to give the Seminoles their first lead of the regional.
Florida State then extended the lead in the top of the eighth. Lacey led off the inning with a double down the left field line on the first pitch. Then Nelson, the ACC Player of the Year, smoked a 2-0 fastball over the fence in left field to give the Seminoles a 5-2 lead. It was the catcher’s 23rd homer of the season.
That was more than enough for the FSU bullpen, which didn’t allow a run to sew up the victory. Jack Anderson recorded the last four outs to advance the Seminoles into the winners’ bracket showdown on Saturday night.
Lacey and Cabell each had two hits to lead the offense for Florida State.
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