Section B Online

Tuesday April 21, 2009

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

Seminole uprising vs UF in Jax

by Drew Hankin

The No. 2 ranked Florida State Seminole baseball team avenged last week's loss to the No. 13 ranked Florida Gators with a 10-2 rout at the Baseball Grounds in Jacksonville on Tuesday night in front of 7,215 fans. The Tribe got a strong start from Ryan Strauss and eight runs in their final three innings to surge past the Gator squad who just couldn't put anything together all night long.

Reigning ACC Player of the Week Buster Posey once again had a huge night for the Noles with three hits, two runs, and two RBIs, including his eight home run of the season, which is one more than his total from his freshman and sophomore seasons combined. Designated hitter Stuart Tapley also homered for FSU, his third of the year.

“That decision (to DH) was (Coach Martin’s). If it is going to better the team then it is going to better me as a person. That is all I am shooting for, how I can make this team better. If that is my role, being a DH, doing my job at the plate then that is my job and that is my role. I accept that and I am going to do the best I can at that," the freshman said. “Whatever is best for the team. That is all I am shooting for. Whatever role I can play, I am going to try my hardest to play that role the best I can.”

Strauss (3-0) limited the Gators to just a run on four hits in his seven innings on the mound, while striking out four batters and walking only one. Jimmy Marshall and Tyler Everett each pitched an inning of relief for FSU.

“I felt pretty good. I just came out today and wanted to keep the ball down, throw strikes, get ahead, and let my defense work," Strauss said. "It worked for me today.”

“I was very pleased with his composure and his poise. He threw the ball very well," head coach Mike Martin said. "He had all three pitches working. He didn’t call for a lot of curveballs, he threw more sliders tonight than he normally does.”

Florida State scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the second when third baseman Jack Posey scored Tony Delmonico with a sacrifice bunt.

“We wanted to try and get on the board first, get on as quickly as we could. Jack (Posey) did a very good job of getting that ball down,” Martin said. “It reminded me a lot of the old days when we did a lot of bunting. I was very pleased with our execution. It was obviously a well played game."

The Tribe made it 2-0 in the next inning when Jason Stidham scored when Dennis Guinn hit into a fielder's choice.

The Gators cut the Seminole in half in the fifth, but FSU got that run back an inning later on Tapley's homer.

From then on, it was all Garnet and Gold, with FSU picking up 2 runs in the seventh on Posey's round-tripper, and then 5 more in the bottom of the eighth when UF pitching gave up 3 walks, 4 hits, and a wild pitch.

FSU evened the season series with UF at 1-1 as the Tribe improved to 24-3 while the Gators fell to 20-7. The Noles continue their Jacksonville road trip on Tuesday evening with a game against the JU Dolphins. Game time is 6:00 with Mike McGee (3-1 4.07) on the mound for Florida State.

Click here for a complete boxscore

Section B Online Player of the Game:
Ryan Strauss
(7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K)