Seminoles trounce rival Gators, 14-3, clinch season series
Florida State Sports Information Release:
The No. 17 Florida State baseball team (20-3) defeated No. 6 Florida (14-10) 14-3 Tuesday evening in Jacksonville, claiming the Seminoles’ first regular-season series win vs. the Gators since 2015.
Daniel Cantu and Drew Faurot combined for five hits, five runs and 10 RBIs, with five from each player. Cantu had two doubles and his second home run of the season; Faurot hit a pair of home runs – his second and third of the season – including a grand slam in the eighth inning that provided FSU’s final runs.
Following a three-run first frame from both sides, the Florida State bullpen allowed just one hit and struck out 11 over the next seven innings.
Joe Charles and John Abraham both pitched career highs. Charles went 2.0 innings, striking out three and giving up one hit to earn his first career win. Abraham threw 3 1/3 innings with a career-high five strikeouts.
Cantu, Jaxson West and James Tibbs had three hits each for Florida State.
OF NOTE:
- Daniel Cantu was 3-for-4 with a career-high five RBI. Cantu hit a three-run double, RBI double and a solo home run, his second home run of the year. His two doubles tied a career high.
- Drew Faurot hit his second and third home runs of the season, including an eighth-inning grand slam, FSU’s fourth of the year. His five RBI were a career high.
- Joe Charles and John Abraham set career highs with 2.0 and 3.1 innings pitched, respectively. Charles earned his first career win, while Abraham’s five strikeouts matched his best.
- Cam Smith singled in the first inning to extend his on-base streak to a career-high 33 games. Jaime Ferrer also singled in the first inning to push his on-base streak to 29 games.
- Smith was 2-for-5. He entered Tuesday third in the country with 1.91 hits per game and seventh with 42 total hits.
- FSU improved to 13-1 when scoring in the first inning and 14-1 when scoring first.
- Max Williams had an RBI single in the fourth inning, extending his hitting streak to a career-high four games.
- Florida State has a home run in 20 of 23 games this season.
- Jaxson West reached base in four of five plate appearances and tied a career high with three hits, bumping his on-base percentage to over .500 for the year.
UP NEXT:
Florida State returns to Tallahassee for a three-game series with Louisville. Thursday’s and Friday’s games will begin at 6 p.m. with the Saturday finale set for 2 p.m. All three games will stream on ACCNX.
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