Seminoles baseball bounces back to take series over Cal

The Florida State arms were on in Sunday’s series-clinching win over the Cal Bears. Starter Wes Mendes threw five strong innings and the bullpen struck out seven over three innings of work to give FSU a 5-1 series clinching win over Cal.

The Seminole bats were sat down in order in the top of the first. After recording an out to start the inning, Wes Mendes walked the second batter. A line out gave the Seminoles two outs before a fielding error by Myles Bailey allowed a second baserunner for Cal. Mendes was able to recover with a groundout to end the inning and keep the game 0-0. FSU had an opportunity in the second with a one out single from Cal Fisher. Following a Drew Faurot fly out, Chase Williams walked but Jaxson West couldn’t deliver as he popped out to the infield. In the bottom of the second, Mendes struck out the side.

The Seminole bats remained cold in the third with another 1-2-3 frame. Cal’s offense also remained sluggish with just a two out single in their half of the inning. The fourth started out as another slow inning for the FSU offense with two quick groundouts. But then Fisher picked up a walk and Faurot connected on an RBI double to right center to break the scoreless tie. Chase Williams grounded out to end the inning. The Bears led off the fourth with a single before a pop out and a pick off. A two out walk followed but Mendes induced an inning ending groundout.

West started off the fifth with a line out before Hunter Carns singled to right. Gage Harrelson moved Carns to second on a groundout and Alex Lodise brought him home with an RBI single. Lodise was thrown out trying to stretch the single to a double. Cal got on the board in their half of the fifth after a leadoff walk and single. Mendes picked up two straight outs but a wild pitch brought home the Bear’s first run. FSU picked the run right back up in the sixth inning. Max Williams greeted a new Cal pitcher with a double before a Bailey strikeout. Fisher brought Williams home with a double and Faurot and Chase Williams both picked up an out to end the top half.

Mendes plunked the first batter of the bottom of the sixth and FSU went to Peyton Prescott. The Bears moved the runner with a sac bunt before Peyton walked the next batter. Prescott then fanned the next two batters to end the sixth. Mendes’ final line was 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. In the seventh, Harrelson reached by error but that was all for the FSU offense. Prescott ran into trouble with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Cal picked up back-to-back runners with a walk and a single but Prescott was able to end the threat with a ground out.

In the eighth, Max Williams led off the inning with a single. Bailey reached by a fielder’s choice, erasing Williams at second. Fisher then reached via error and he and Williams advanced on a Faurot groundout. A single from Chase Williams plated them both to extend the lead to 5-1. West lined out to end the inning. Prescott struck out the first batter of the eighth before allowing a walk and a single. He was replaced by Joe Charles who quickly ended the threat with a fly out and a line out. Prescott’s final line: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K.

FSU went 1-2-3 in the ninth and Charles fanned the side to end the game and clinch the series.

Game two:

Florida State was held scoreless for the second time this season as Cal took game two of their three-game series 5-0, snapping their 14-game in-conference losing streak. Nobody on Florida State recorded an extra-base hit or multiple knocks as the white-hot offense reverted to the mean on Saturday.

On the mound, Joey Volini pitched fine, but lacked swing and miss while getting tagged for four runs in the fifth, which became the difference maker. Cal homered twice off the southpaw while only striking out three times and taking three walks. This is Volini’s second consecutive loss after taking the L last week against Clemson. John Abraham tossed three innings of scoreless relief, preserving the bullpen for a vital game three tomorrow while punching out five Golden Bears.

The Noles went down in order in the first three innings before Alex Lodise singled in the fourth. FSU would load the bases with one out in that inning, but Cal Fisher struck out before Drew Faurot grounded out to second, finally returning to Earth. Florida State went down in order in five of their nine innings and threatened once more in the eighth with two on and one out, but Lodise grounded into a fielder’s choice, and Max Williams also sent a grounder right to the shortstop to end the frame.

Game One:

Florida State pulled away from Cal on Friday night as the Seminoles took game one of their three-game series 8-2 after falling behind 2-0 after three. The Noles recorded 12 hits in the win, their third consecutive game with 10 or more hits, while scoring in four-straight innings from the fourth to the seventh, where they plated all eight runs. Drew Faurot led the way, going 4-for-5 with a double, home run, 4 RBI, and a run scored, and before grounding out in the ninth, had gotten on in 12 consecutive at-bats. Alex Lodise also racked up three hits while Jaxson West recorded a multi-hit game, including his first homer of the year in the fifth.

Jamie Arnold settled in on the mound after Cal made him work in the first three innings. Arnold finished with 6.0 IP with 9 K, 2 BB, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER on 96 pitches while retiring six of the final seven batters he faced, including three on strikes. Link Jarrett handed the ball to Joe Charles for the seventh and eighth, and the fireman fanned five in two innings of work while not allowing a run or a hit. Chris Knier closed the game out in the ninth with a perfect frame on eight pitches.

Cal pushed out to a 2-0 lead with a run in the second and another in the third, but the Noles would respond in the middle innings.

Cal Fisher singled to left on a 1-2 count, bringing up Faurot with a runner on base, and the second baseman blasted his fourth home run in his last three games and tied the game at two with one swing of the bat. After Arnold tossed a scoreless fourth, West led off the fifth with a homer to right on a full count, his first of the year, giving FSU their first lead.

Florida State took a stranglehold in the sixth as Myles Bailey reached on an error, Fisher was hit by a pitch, and the white-hot Faurot brought them both in with a double, as Florida State pushed their advantage to 5-2.

The Noles closed the game out with a three-run seventh as the top of the order went to work. After Gage Harrelson reached on a fielder’s choice and Lodise swatted a single up the middle, Harrelson scored because Max Williams reached on an error. Bailey punched a single through the left side, plating Lodise before Fisher went the opposite way for a base knock, scoring Williams as FSU stretched their lead to 8-2.