Seminoles were down 10 runs in the third inning
With how close and low-scoring the first two games of the Corvallis Super Regional were, a blowout wasn’t exactly on the radar for most heading into Sunday’s do-or-die matchup between the Florida State Seminoles and Oregon State Beavers.
But when FSU has felt itself slipping into a hole this season, that has on more than a few occasions led to the ground giving way to a full-on sinkhole — with the final example coming at the most inopportune time.
The catalyst to the blowout can be argued as a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the first, one that got an out at second but put runners on the corners as a double-play failed to come into fruition. A 2-0 lead for FSU quickly became a 2-2 tie, then a 6-2 deficit, then a 13-3 one in just the span of three innings, a score that would eventually become 14-10 to bring the Seminoles’ season came to a close.
Gage Harrelson groundout to start off the game, which was followed up by an Alex Lodise double — a deep ball assisted by a fielding error. He didn’t spend much time on base, with Max Williams smacking a left field home run to put Florida State up 2-0 early. Bailey kept the hitting streak going with a single, stealing second after Cal Fisher went down swinging on a full count and then third on a wild pitch. He ended up being stranded there however, as Drew Farout ‘s left field fly out closed out the frame.
Wes Mendes began the game by giving a leadoff single on a 2-2 count and walking Ava Arquette, putting two on for Oregon State. A deep shot went foul and was fielded by Harrelson, earning the first out of the frame but putting runners on the corners. Mendes hit the next batter, loading the bases with one out — and the Beavers would cash in. Three straight singles saw Oregon State score three straight runners, then the floodgates opened with a three-run shot that threw Florida State into a 6-2 deficit. Back-to-back homers ended Mendes day, with Payton Manca taking the mound in search of one out to mercifully end the nightmare start. Back at the top of the order, Manca walked one before a fly out finally sent things to the second.
Hunter Carns, in his first at-bat, lined out to left, followed by a Jaxon West groundout. Chase Williams hit a solo shot to make it 7-3 before Harrelson struck out swinging.
In the bottom of the second, Oregon State flew out on its first at-bat, putting one runner on base before a double play ended the inning.
The Beavers opted to make a move on the mound entering the third — Lodise was the first to face the new arm, singling on a 1-1 count, and as before didn’t spend much time on base, though this was due to a double play following a Max Williams groundout. Bailey just missed out on a two-out home run, the ball bouncing off the top of the wall for a right center double, with a Fisher groundout ending the frame.
A leadoff pop-up began the bottom of the third for Oregon State, who quickly put two runners on base following a walk and a second batter hit by a pitch. The duo each advanced a base on a wild pitch, putting both in scoring position, at which point Manca was pulled for Joe Charles, who was put into the game on a 3-2 count. A walk loaded the bases, and a grand slam made it 11-3 with one out. After giving up a single, Charles himself was pulled, making it four pitchers in three innings as Chris Knier got his turn on the mound and his turn to give up a home run — a two-run shot — before a strikeout and a fly out finishing off the inning at 13-3.
Farout was walked at the top of the fourth, followed by a Carns strikeout and West fly out. Chase Williams’ single put two on as FSU went back to the top of the order, at which point Harrelson’s single loaded the bases. Lodise drove Farout in, with Williams showcasing some athleticism to avoid a tag to make it to third. That was all the ground that Florida State was able to make up, though, with Max Williams striking out swinging to leave the bases loaded.
Oregon State got another home run to lead off the bottom frame. Knier threw his second strikeout, Carns scooped up a bunt for a second out and another strikeout ended the inning.
For the second consecutive inning, the Seminoles got a man on base via walk, this time Bailey. He advanced to second on a wild pitch before Fisher went down swinging, eventually joined by Faurot after he walked and Carns following a single, loading the bases for West. A sac-fly scored Bailey, with the bases getting loaded once again off a Chase Williams right-side single. Harrelson’s at-bat featured a bit of chaos, with the on-field call of him being out at first overturned after a replay showed him safe by millimeters and plating another runner — the last ground that Florida State would make up that frame as Lodise’s hit fell short of a game-changing slam.
The bottom of the fifth was quick, the Beavers plating just one runner to maintain their 14-6 lead.
Max Williams got a leadoff single and then Bailey, as he’s done time and time again, crushed a ball to add two more runs to Florida State’s total. Fisher followed that up with a ground out, Farout adding the second out on a full-count strikeout. Carns got on base with a right-side single, leading to a pitching change for Oregon State. West ground out on an 0-1 count, ending the frame at 14-8.
Florida State finally pulled off a three-up, three-down inning in the bottom of the sixth, Knier throwing just seven pitches as the defense strung together a series of impressive plays. However, Oregon State put together a 1-2-3 frame of its own on the follow-up as Chase Williams was unable to make it three straight innings with a leadoff runner on base, grounding out before Harrelson struck out looking and Lodise grounded out.
FSU opted to put Peyton Prescott on the mound for the second day in a row, trying to keep its hopes of a comeback alive. The first Beavers batter ground out, with Prescott striking out the second, though the right-hander had to tap out due to an undisclosed injury. Connor Hults became the sixth pitcher to take the mound for the Seminoles, throwing three balls for three strikes to make it a second consecutive 1-2-3. Unfortunately, it was a second straight three-up, three-down for the bats as well, a hitless frame leaving just three outs in Florida State’s season.
Oregon State broke the hitless streak between the two teams during its second at-bat in the bottom of the eighth, putting a runner on base following a one-out single. The Seminoles missed out on a double play, picking off the leadoff runner but replay reversing the call to keep one on first.
With three outs remaining to score six runs, Farout singled through the left to kick off the top of the ninth, with Carns following up with a single of his own. West ground out, putting both runners in scoring position for Brody DeLamielleure, pinch-hitting for Chase Williams. His groundout scored Farout, with a Harrelson double right after scoring Carns to make it a 14-10 game — the final score after Lodise was struck out looking.
Florida State finishes the year 42-16 (17-10).