With their 13th consecutive victory, the Gators (19-1) claimed their SEC opener after the Tigers (14-7) had tied the game on a two-out single in the ninth.
Sansone Highlights 17-4 Seminole Win Over Pitt
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – For the eighth time this season and second time in ACC action the Florida State baseball team scored double-digit runs, this time as it downed Pittsburgh 17-4 in Friday night’s series opener at Charles L. Cost Field.
The Seminoles, who moved to 14-4 overall and 4-0 in league play, were led at the plate by Pennsylvania native John Sansone (2-5, run, double) who established a new single-game career-high in RBI with five. Joining him at the plate with multiple hits were Gage West (2-4, RBI, double) and Matt Henderson (2-3) who also tallied two runs and two RBI.
Senior hurler Mike Compton, who surrendered five hits and four earned runs in 4.1 innings, also posted a pair of strikeouts as he passed volunteer coach Clyde Keller on the all-time strikeout list. He was followed on the mound by Alec Byrd, who notched one out in one at-bat.
Matthew Kinney followed Byrd, who suffered an ankle injury, and collected his first win of the season as he held the Panthers (8-7, 1-3 ACC) hitless in 1.1 innings. Kinney gave way to Ed Voyles, who earned the save after yielding only one hit and one walk, while striking out four in three innings.
Ninth Inning Rally Comes Short in JU’s 8-4 Loss to Samford
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A four-run rally with two outs in the ninth inning wasn’t enough as Jacksonville fell to Samford, 8-4, Friday at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
“That was a strange ballgame to see 29 strikeouts and 15 walks combined on both sides,” said Head Coach Tim Montez. “The positive was that our guys didn’t quit at the end. We put together some good at-bats there at the end and hopefully that momentum carries over tomorrow.”
Jacksonville (11-6) broke up a no-hitter on an Austin Hays single in the eighth inning and then rallied with four runs in the ninth. Hays launched his seventh homer of the season for a three-run blast, and Franco Guardascione singled home JJ Gould.
Jacksonville scored its first run of the game on a passed ball in a fifth inning where the Dolphins walked four times.
Michael Baumann (2-1) suffered his first loss of the season despite striking out a career-best nine batters. He allowed solo home runs in each of the first two innings but ran into his most trouble with five walks in the fourth inning which led to five earned runs.
Osprey Blanked by Quinnipiac in Series Opener
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Quinnipiac (6-8) starting pitcher Thomas Jankins shut down the high-powered North Florida offense, tossing eight innings in a 3-0 series opening victory. The loss snaps a season-high five-game win streak for the Ospreys as they fall to 11-9 on the year.
Jankins struck out seven batters and stranded nine Osprey base runners in the process. He scattered seven hits and walked only one for his second victory of the season. It was the first time in six games the Osprey offense was held under 10 hits and is their second-lowest hit total of the year.
Alex Merritt was responsible for two of the Ospreys seven hits on the night, going 2-for-4. Senior Corbin Olmstead extended his hit streak to 13 games with a single in the bottom of the eighth inning. Classmate Kyle Brooks' single in the bottom of the sixth moved his reached base streak to 14 games.
--MIKE BONTS