Section B Online

Sunday May 04, 2008

	AT BAT				BALL					STRIKE					OUT						H/E
		2	7			3					2					2					H
				1	2	3	4	5	6		7	8	9	10			RUNS		HITS			E
FSU				0	3	2	2	1	0		2	3	0				1	3	1	7		2
CU				1	0	0	0	0	0		0	2	1					4	1	0		0

Florida State crushes the Tigers 13-4

by FSU Sports Info.

Third-ranked Florida State (39-7, 21-5 ACC) captured its second straight win over Clemson (24-22-1, 10-15-1) with a 13-4 victory Saturday night at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. FSU pounded out 17 hits including eight for extra bases on four home runs, three doubles and a triple. Eleven different Seminoles registered a base hit while the 13 runs were the most scored on the Tigers in the series since a 20-5 Florida State victory in Tallahassee back on April 5, 1997.

Florida State scored in six of the nine innings while nine of the 13 runs scored in game two came on two outs. It was the fifth time this year that the Seminole offense has hit at least four home runs in a game. The last four home run game came in the curfew shorten 7 inning thriller against the Hurricanes.

Five Seminoles collected multiple RBIs in game two while Tony Delmonico and Stuart Tapley led all hitters with three hits apiece. Delmonico finished the game with a team-high three RBIs. Tapley went 3-for-4 in the ball game with a pair of singles and a two-run homer in the second. He has reached base in eight of his nine plate appearances in the series.

Also connecting on home runs in game two were Jason Stidham (fourth inning), Dennis Guinn (seventh inning) and Buster Posey (eighth inning). All four home runs were two-run shots while three of the four came on two outs.

Jack Rye had a perfect night at the plate going 2-for-2 with a pair of singles while reaching base in all four plate appearances.

FSU starting pitcher Elih Villanueva once again came through with another solid effort working seven innings allowing just one run on six hits. He struck out five and walked two as the junior right hander snapped a two-game losing streak to improve to 5-2 on the year.

Villanueva followed last week's heartbreak loss to North Carolina with a gem against the Tigers in game two. After giving up a run in the first, the Miami, Fla., native blanked Clemson over the next six innings allowing just two hits after the second. He allowed just two runners to reach second after the first inning.

On the first pitch of the game, Tyler Holt extended his streak of reaching base to 46 straight games tripling to the gap in right center. It marked the second three bagger of the season for the freshman center fielder. But Holt would be stranded at third as Graham Stoneburner (5-3) got a line out and an infield pop up to Stidham and Posey, respectively and then picked off Jack Rye at first after Rye registered a bunt single.

Clemson jumped out to quick lead on a two-out RBI single by Ben Paulsen in the bottom of the first. Kyle Parker began the two out rally lofting a fly ball to right center for his tenth double of the season. Rye made a diving attempt on the play as the ball glanced off his out stretched glove and fell in for a hit. A batter later, Paulsen took the first pitch he saw and sent it to left scoring Parker for an early 1-0 lead. A Seminole error kept the inning alive for the Tigers, but Villanueva was able to get out of the inning without further damage getting Doug Hogan to pop up to first for the third out.

The Seminoles countered with three runs in the top of the second all on two outs to take a two-run advantage. Designated hitter Tommy Oravetz drew a four pitch walk and scored on a double to the wall in right by Mike McGee. Next batter Tapley took a 1-2 offering from Stoneburner and hit just inside the right field foul pole for his fourth home run of the season. The two-run shot was Tapley's first round tripper since going yard against the Florida Gators in Jacksonville on April 1.

FSU increased its lead to 5-1 with a pair of runs in the third. The Garnet and Gold loaded the bases on a single up the middle by Posey sandwiched between two walks by Stidham and Rye. After a fielder's groundout by Guinn erased Stidham at the plate for out number one, Delmonico laced a single back up the middle plating Posey and Rye.

For the third straight inning, FSU scored with two outs as Stidham unloaded on a two-run shot for his ninth home run of the season. The sophomore second baseman hit a Stoneburner offering off the roof of the Clemson batting cages in right center to increase the Seminole lead to 7-1 in the fourth. Holt drew a walk in the inning and scored on the round tripper.

Stoneburner's night would come to an end after four innings as the freshman right hander allowed seven run on seven hits and four walks.

In the fifth, the Seminoles added to their lead on an RBI double by Oravetz. Delmonico drew a two-out walk from Tiger reliever Craig Gullickson and came around to score as Oravetz ripped a double off the fence in right center giving FSU an 8-1 advantage.

Florida State once again went long ball in the seventh to take a commanding 10-1 lead. Rye led off the inning with a single up the middle and scored a batter later on Guinn's 13th home run of the season. The round tripper tied Guinn with Posey for the team lead.

FSU increased its lead to 13-1 with three more runs in the eighth. All three runs were scored on two outs. Posey retook the team lead in home runs on a two-run shot for his 14th of the season. The junior catcher went opposite field sending a 1-2 offering from Gullickson over the fence in right center. Pinch hitter Luke Smierciak followed with a double to right center and moved to third on a single by pinch hitter Jack Posey. He would score a batter later on a base hit through the left side of the infield by Delmonico, his third RBI of the evening.

Tyler Everett pitched the eighth and ninth giving up three runs, two earned, on four hits. He walked two and struck two. The freshman right hander allowed two runs on three hits and two walks in the eighth but he also registered back-to-back strikeouts in the inning.

Florida State and Clemson will return to the diamond for the third and final game of the three game series on Monday, May 5 at 4:00 p.m. Fans can watch the game live on CSS while gametracker will be available for the contest. The game can also be heard live over the radio on 1270 the Team with Tom Block providing all the play-by-play action.

Click here for a complete boxscore

Section B Online Player of the Game:
Elih Villanueva
(7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K)