In game one of their top-15 match up, the Seminoles dropped a back-and-forth affair with the North Carolina State Wolfpack. The game was predicted to be a pitching duel with aces Wes Mendes and Ryan Marohn on the mound but both offenses touched up the starters for four earned runs each. Florida State had chances but key errors and squandered opportunities led the Wolfpack to taking the first game, 6-4.
After a scoreless first, the Wolfpack struck first with a run in the second inning. NC State started off the inning with the first runner reaching via error. After two outs, Mendes was on the cusp of escaping the jam before yielding an RBI double to center. Wes quickly picked up the third out after the double, but the damage was done and NC State had an early 1-0 lead. On the other side, Marohn was on the top of his game through the first two innings with five punchouts.
The Seminoles would tie the game at one in the third inning with some small ball action. Will Bavarro led off the inning with a walk and quickly scampered to second on a wild pitch. Cal Fisher moved him to third with a sacrifice bunt and Brayden Dowd brought him home with an RBI groundout. A productive FSU inning that plated a run with zero hits.
Mendes ran into trouble again in the fourth inning, issuing a leadoff walk. NC State followed the walk up with two straight singles to load the bases with no outs. Mendes struck out the next batter before giving up a sacrifice fly to hand the lead back to the Wolfpack. Mendes would again escape without further damage. FSU threatened in their bottom of the frame, but ended up leaving two runners stranded.
In the fifth, Mendes worked around a single to keep NC State off the board. Wolfpack pitcher Marohn would not find the same success in his half of the inning. Fisher worked a one out walk before a Dowd single. Putnam hit a towering out to right before Myles Bailey stepped to the plate and delivered as only he does. The sophomore absolutely crushed a bomb over the left field fence to give FSU a 4-2 lead.
Mendes took the mound in the sixth and unfortunately handed the lead right back to NC State. After picking up the first out of the inning, Mendes allowed three straight singles, the last giving the ‘Pack a run. John Abraham got the call from the pen and fanned the first batter he faced. With two outs and clinging to a one-run lead, FSU coughed it up with a double to right that scored two. Abe walked the next batter but ended the damage there. After six innings, the Wolfpack had reclaimed the edge, 5-4. Mendes’ final line: 5.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K.
Both teams were kept off the board in the seventh and eighth but not without Florida State wasting a golden opportunity. In the bottom of the eighth, Bailey worked a walk before Kelvyn Paulino Jr smoked a single to right. Looking to capitalize, Chase Williams stepped in to pinch hit for Brody DeLamielleure. In a perfect situation to sacrifice bunt, FSU instead chose to have Williams swing away. He struck out, as did Nathan Cmeyla. Hunter Carns pinch hit for John Stuetzer but grounded out to end the threat.
The top of the ninth was a disaster for the Florida State’s defense as Cmeyla allowed a passed ball on a strike three and Fisher booted a grounder. Both mistakes led to NC State’s sixth run. FSU’s offense went quietly in the ninth to hand the Wolfpack game one of the series.
The Seminoles will look to even the series tomorrow at 2 PM.