Warchant TV: FSU postgame press-conference
Warchant TV: One on one with Stephen Cardullo
GREENSBORO, N.C. - With their hopes of reaching the ACC title game and possibly hosting an NCAA Regional at stake, Florida State made another impressive statement on Day Three of the ACC Tournament.
The fifth-seeded Seminoles forced the first ‘mercy’ rule game of the tourney, crushing eighth-seeded Boston College 12-2 in seven innings Friday afternoon in front of a sparse crowd at NewBridge Bank Park – games automatically end when a team leads by at least 10 runs after seven innings. That came less than 24 hours after the Seminoles’ 11-4 shellacking of top seed and No. 1-ranked Virginia Thursday.
FSU, which had to beat BC in order to remain in the hunt for a spot in Sunday’s title game, must now play the waiting game. If Virginia beats fourth-seed Miami on Saturday afternoon – first pitch is scheduled for noon – the Seminoles will advance to Sunday’s title game versus the winner of the other four-team division. If Miami wins, the Hurricanes will play Sunday and the ’Noles will head back to Tallahassee.
“I was born and raised in these neck of woods so I’ll be happy to stay around another day,” said FSU coach Mike Martin, a native of Charlotte, N.C. “I’d like to stay around for more than another 24 hours. This is not a problem. We put ourselves in this so-called situation.”
FSU fell 9-3 to Miami in their first game of the tourney Wednesday, which gives the Hurricanes the tiebreaker edge should both teams finish 2-1 in pool play. BC handed Miami a loss in the first game the following day by erasing a five-run deficit in the ninth and winning 12-10 in 12 innings, which kept FSU in the title hunt.
Ever since, FSU”S bats have been extremely hot. Every starter had at least one hit versus BC and the Seminoles had at least one hit in all seven innings. The Seminoles had a season-high five home runs versus the Cavaliers.
“We definitely had a lot of great at bats from people that produced a lot of runs today,” said shortstop Stephen Cardullo, who went 3-of-4 with three singles after his three-home run performance Thursday. “(Leadoff hitter) Tyler Holt definitely set the tone by getting on in the first at bat. He’s the sparkplug for this offense and hitting is contagious.”
Holt smashed the first pitch of the game off John Leonard into center for a single to centerfield. He’d steal second and reach third on a wild pitch, but didn’t score. Still, the junior centerfielder went 2-of-5 with an RBI and is now batting a team-high .500 with three doubles and three runs scored in the tourney.
FSU right fielder James Ramsey had the best day of anyone at the plate, nailing a two-run double down the right field line to put the Seminoles up 4-0 in the third. In his next at-bat, Ramsey hammered a two-run homer well over the left field wall in the fourth to put the Seminoles up 8-0.
FSU added two more home runs to put the game out of reach, including a two-run shot to right field by second basemen Devon Travis and a solo shot to left by third basemen Sherman Johnson.
Despite the offensive onslaught, Martin was more proud of the performance of starter John Gast, who had one of his best outings of the year. Gast (7-3) got the win by going 5 2/3 innings and allowing one earned run, striking out five and not allowing a single walk of the traditional fashion – he did hit three batters.
“We got a lot of hits, but hitting is not the name of it it’s pitching,” Martin said. “(Gast) gave us a big lift. He gave us almost six complete innings against a very good offensive club, a club that has beaten a lot of teams that will be in postseason play.”
Scott Sitz took over from Gast and pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. The Seminoles have now only used six pitchers in their three tourney games.
Martin said he doesn’t know who will start should the Seminoles play Sunday, but is considering “three or four” possibilities and will decide on Saturday if needed. Among the options are likely McGee, a right-hander who was a starter last year and a closer this year, and righties Geoff Parker, Hunter Scantling and Sitz, who have each started multiple games this year. Parker and Scantling have both been used in relief in Greensboro.
Left-hander Sean Gilmartin could also be in the mix. Gilmartin threw 120 pitches in the loss to Miami and started at first versus BC, will have four days of rest by Sunday.
In a surprising move, Martin made McGee, who normally starts in left field, the designated hitter against BC and gave utility man Ohmed Danesh just his seventh start of the year. Danesh hit an RBI-single up the middle in his first at-bat in the second to put FSU up 1-0 and McGee was 1-of-3 with two runs scored.
“I thought it would be easier if (McGee) was needed (to pitch),” Martin said. “We could take him from the dugout to the bullpen. Plus (Danesh) is a very good outfielder and been looking very good offensively. He deserved a chance to play.”
Martin didn’t campaign for hosting an NCAA Regional after the game, saying that the team’s fate is in the hands of the NCAA selection committee. The Seminoles’ chances of landing one of the 16 host bids were considered shaky at best before the tourney. They entered ranked 14th in the Baseball America poll and 17th in the Baseball Collegiate Poll. They had risen to 15th in the RPI heading into the BC game.
BC scored its only runs in the sixth when first basemen Mickey Wiswall hit a solo homer to center and shortstop Brad Zapenas came home when a grounder glanced off Johnson’s glove a third. That put runners at the corners with two outs and catcher Garret Smith followed with a deep fly ball to center that would have cut the deficit to 11-5 had it cleared the wall but Holt camped underneath it at the warning track and made the catch.
Leonard (2-3), who also took the loss in a previous start versus FSU three weeks ago, lasted 2 1/3 innings, giving up nine hits, six earned runs) without a single strikeout.
Defensive Play of the Game
Travis flashed his impressive range in the fourth when a grounder was hit hard up the middle. Moving to his left, he snarled the ball with his backhand, then whirled around and fired a great throw to get the out at first.
Extras
Tomorrow will mark Florida State’s 10th consecutive day on the road. The Seminoles left Tallahassee last Wednesday for a three-game series with Clemson and then traveled directly to Greensboro.
Martin did campaign for other ACC teams to get into the NCAA Tournament field, saying he believes Boston College and N.C. State, which are believed to both be on the bubble, and North Carolina, which didn’t qualify for the ACC Tournament, all deserve bids. Virginia, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Miami, FSU and Virginia Tech have already locked up invites. “I’ve never seen the league tougher than this,” Martin said. “I mean Wake Forest turns around to beat a very good Clemson team two out of three. Then of course, we go to Clemson and they whipped us. We go to BC and they whipped us the first game and had to play like crazy to win the next two … I’d love to see nine (ACC) teams get in.”
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