Section B Online

Thursday May 27, 2010

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

Seminoles pour it on vs Virginia

by Andrew Skwara, Warchant.com

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Florida State has some work left and needs a little luck to reach the ACC Tournament title game and to feel better about its chances of hosting an NCAA Regional.

But, the outlook for both – which looked rather bleak 24 hours ago – looks far better after the first two games of Day Two of the ACC Tournament Thursday at NewBridge Bank Park.

The fifth-seeded Seminoles (40-17, 18-12) added a much-needed boost to their resume by knocking of the nation’s No. 1-ranked team and the top seed, Virginia, 11-4, on Thursday in front of an announced crowd of 3,167. It was the worst margin of defeat versus an ACC team all year for the Cavaliers (46-11, 20-10 ACC), which entered having won 16 of their last 17 while the Seminoles were riding a season-high four-game losing streak.

“FSU looked like a team that really had something to prove tonight,” Virginia coach Brian O’Connor said. “Maybe it was the sweep at Clemson or the loss to Miami yesterday but they said enough is enough. They looked like a very, very determined baseball team.”

The upset came after eighth-seeded Boston College pulled off a miracle-like comeback, coming from down 10-5 in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings against fourth-seeded Miami before winning 12-10 in 12 innings. The Eagles had to win to keep FSU’s chances of reaching Sunday’s title game alive.

“We were in the clubhouse the whole time watching the game and getting pretty excited,” said FSU left fielder Mike McGee, who hit two of the Seminoles’ season-high five home runs with the other three coming from short stop Stephen Cardullo. “It felt like we had won a ball game and it did give us a lift, especially with the way it happened. Coming back from five down in the ninth lets you know anything is possible.”

BC, FSU, Miami and UVa, which are all in the same pool, are all 1-1 in tournament play.

The Seminoles must beat the Eagles Friday – first pitch is scheduled for noon – and need Virginia to beat Miami Saturday to move onto Sunday’s title game. That would leave each 2-1 in Greensboro with the ’Noles owning the head-to-head tiebreaker.

The upset of UVa, combined with another win over an ACC club, may be enough to awarding the Seminoles one of the 16 NCAA Regionals as well. The Seminoles’ chances of hosting were considered shaky prior to a 9-3 loss to Miami on Wednesday.

FSU’s sudden power surge is largely to thank for putting the Seminoles, who hadn’t hit a home run in their previous two games, in this scenario. Cardullo, who entered the game with five homers on the year, is the first Seminole to have a three home-run game since Mike Futrell against Stanford in 2002.

Cardullo’s first two homers were solo shots cleared the left field wall by a large margin and the third, a two-run shot, was hit to right. Both of McGee’s homers were solo shots as well.

“I’ve never hit three home runs in a game,” Cardullo said. “I did it in one day in high school. I can’t really explain (it). I had an unusual breakfast and that’s probably what it was. It’s a secret but I’ll have to have it tomorrow again.”

The home runs may have not been as surprising as who they were being hit off. Virginia appeared to have a huge edge in the pitching matchup coming in with righty Robert Morey going against lefty Brian Busch. Morey had won his last five starts but took the loss after lasting just four innings. Morey gave up two of the homers and struggled with his control all night, making four wild pitches, walking four and racking up 113 pitches.

The Seminoles’ game plan centered around being patient with Morey in hopes of getting him off the mound early.

“We wanted him to throw a lot of pitches and get to their bullpen,” McGee said. “We had a bunch of guys fighting through at-bats and taking the pitches they are supposed to and fouling off the pitches they don’t want.”

Busch and reliever Geoff Parker, who got the win to move to 4-1, combined to give up just six hits and four earned runs over the first eight innings to a Virginia team that came into the tournament with the league’s highest batting average at .335. Reliever Hunter Scantling entered in the ninth and didn’t allow a hit or a baserunner.

“Brian had a good outing and Geoff was really outstanding,” FSU coach Mike Martin said. “Brian kept us in the game.”

Virginia played an uncharacteristically sloppy game, combining to make six wild pitches and surrender six walks. The Cavaliers also made two base running blunders that led to outs at third and second base.

FSU played one if its more complete games of the year, giving up just four walks and failing to make an error in the field.

McGee also made a brilliant play in the fourth when the slugger surprised a Virginia infield playing deep by laying down a perfect bunt down the third base line that scored first basemen Jayce Boyd and left McGee safe at first and centerfielder Tyler Holt at third.

Holt, who later scored on a wild pitch, had two doubles and went 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

“We needed that win,” said Martin who left the team with Tallahassee eight days ago. “We’ve been away from home for a long time and probably the longest that I can remember. We know we haven’t done anything yet but we know we had an outstanding game and things went our way. What impresses me is that we went through a bad stretch but these young men showed what they are all about.”

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Section B Online Player of the Game:

Stephen Cardullo
3-5, 3 R, 4 RBI, 3 HR