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FSU Baseball blasts Mercer, 22-5; Softball team cruises past JU, 7-1

by: Warchant Staff03/05/26Warchant

Big innings haven’t been easy to come by for the FSU baseball team this season, but the Seminoles turned in an all-timer early in Wednesday’s game against visiting Mercer.

Thanks in large part to a disastrous inning for Mercer’s pitchers, who issued four walks and hit four batters in the frame, Florida State scored 13 runs in the second inning on their way to a 22-5 victory. The Seminoles only recorded four hits in the frame, but two of them were big ones — a three-run home run from Will Bavaro and a two-run double by John Stuetzer

The game, which was called due to the run-rule in the bottom of the seventh inning, pushed FSU’s record to 10-2 overall and dropped the Bears to 11-2.

Stuetzer, Bavaro and Kelvyn Paulino Jr., all three of whom are freshmen, recorded two hits apiece for FSU. Stuetzer and Bavaro each accounted for three RBIs, and Paulino added two. Sophomore Noah Sheffield also smashed a three-run homer and finished with a team-high four RBIs.

Cooper Whited, who allowed one run on five hits in three innings, picked up the victory on the mound.

After a busy week, FSU will have Thursday off before hosting Northern Kentucky for a three-game series this weekend.

Softball: FSU 7, JU 1 (Courtesy of Florida State Sports Information)

The No. 10 Florida State softball team (17-4) took down Jacksonville (11-10), 7-1, on Wednesday afternoon at JoAnne Graf Field.
 
After a scoreless first inning, Ashtyn Danley led off the bottom of the second inning with a double, and Marin Heller immediately drove her home on her third triple of the season to put the Noles up 1-0. Heller eventually scored on a wild pitch to put the Noles up 2-0.
 
The Noles kept the offense going in the inning as Bella Ruggiero and Angelee Bueno both walked, and Isa Torres drove both of them home on a double to put FSU up 4-0. 
 
Jazzy Francik got the start and threw three scoreless innings and got out of trouble in both the second and third innings. The Dolphins got two runners in scoring position in the second and loaded the bases in the third inning, but Francik recorded inning-ending strikeouts both times. 
 
The Dolphins got one run back in the top of the fifth, but Ashtyn Danley limited the damage with a strikeout to strand runners at second and third. 
 
The Noles responded with more offense in the bottom of the inning as Anna Hinde walked and Marin Heller singled to set the stage for Ruggiero who hit her first career triple to clear the bases and put the Noles up 6-1. Makenna Sturgis hit a blooper to right field to score Ruggiero and give the Noles another run. 
 
Makenna Reid entered the circle in for the final two innings and allowed just two hits while striking out four to shut the door. 
 
FSU will hit the road for its first true road series at Coastal Carolina. The teams will begin its three-game series at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.

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