No. 8 Florida State jumps out to big lead, holds on late to secure 9-7 win over Notre Dame
It got very tight there at the end, but the Florida State baseball team wrapped up another successful series on Saturday with a 9-7 win over Notre Dame at Dick Howser Stadium.
The Seminoles led 9-2 in the sixth then held on for dear life in the final innings. Thanks to John Abraham, who has been one of the best relievers in the country all season, the ‘Noles survived and improved to 27-11 overall and 11-6 in the ACC.
Abraham pitched 3.1 innings of scoreless relief and worked around baserunners all three innings. He was aided by left fielder Chase Williams, who ended a four-run sixth for Notre Dame by throwing out the trail runner at the plate on a run-scoring, bases-loaded single.
The righty then allowed two baserunners in the seventh (on an infield single and a walk) and two more in the eighth (on two walks) but got out of the jams each time. Abraham then finished off the Fighting Irish in the ninth when, after two more Notre Dame batters reached (on a walk and a single), he induced a game-ending double play to secure the fifth ACC series win of the year.
Saturday’s game started out like it was going to be a blowout. The Seminoles scored four in the first — on RBI singles from Nathan Cmyela and John Stuetzer, an RBI double from Cal Fisher and an RBI groundout by Gabe Fraser.
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The offense then scored two more in the second — via a Hunter Carns sac fly and a Stuetzer RBI groundout — and chased Notre Dame ace Jack Radel after just three innings of work. Florida State scored a pair in the fourth inning on a two-run triple by Stuetzer, then one more in the fifth on a solo home run by Eli Putnam, his second in the last two games.
At that point Florida State led 9-2 and it seemed like the Seminoles were well on their way to run-ruling the Irish for a second day in a row. But the Notre Dame offense, which earlier hit two solo homers off starter Trey Beard, got to the lefty in the sixth; he was eventually pulled after 5.1 innings and was charged with six runs.
In the end though, Abraham, even if he wasn’t quite as sharp as normal, locked up the conference win for the No. 8 Seminoles.
They go for the sweep on Sunday at 1 p.m. (ACCNX).
*Talk about this story with other die-hard Florida State baseball fans in the FSU Baseball Forum*
