FSU bats go cold on chilly night as Seminoles fall to Gators
Florida State matched the weather in Jacksonville on Tuesday night, going cold at the box and failing to register a hit in five of nine innings, allowing the Gators to claim the game and season series with a 5-0 win. Florida State, who struck out 18 times in the previous meeting against the Gators, suffered 16 strikeouts during the loss. Both teams embodied that chilliness to start off the game, each going three up, three down in the first inning and going a combined 8-55 from the plate.
UF got the first hit of the game on a triple, then got another runner on base off a fielding error. The Gators scored shortly after, a bunt giving them a 1-0 lead, but FSU didn’t allow any additional damage, ending the inning with two runners stranded. After a Chase Williams groundout to start the third, Will Bavaro got the first hit of the game for the Seminoles on an up-the-middle single.
He reached second on a tremendous slide and fortuitous drop from Florida’s second baseman and then (along with Cal Fisher) was almost sent home by Brayden Dowd, whose deep left field shot came up just short of the fence. Florida State sat the first two batters of the bottom of the third and was about to exit with another quick frame, but an error put a runner on first to temporarily extend the inning. Whited snuffed things out with another strikeout, his fourth of the game.
The top of the fourth saw another three up, three down showing from the Seminoles. Florida tacked on a pair of hits in the bottom of the fourth, but a timely tag out at third cut earned the second out of the frame. FSU then made the switch to Cole Stokes, ending Whited’s day with a 2.
92 ERA, four strikeouts and three hits allowed on 62 pitches thrown, with the inning’s final out coming shortly after on a fly out. FSU looked like it was starting off the fifth with some momentum as John Stuetzer smacked a double along the line, but he attempted to take third and was thrown out, leading to another quick frame as Williams and Bavaro both went down swinging. Stokes walked the first batter of the bottom of the fifth, followed by a groundout and the Gators putting another on after an intentional walk.