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Fifth-ranked Florida State (34-12, 14-8
ACC) dropped game one of a three-game series to Boston College (27-20,
13-12 ACC) Friday afternoon on Shea Field falling to the Eagles 10-7. It
marked the first loss for the Seminoles in Chestnut Hill in seven
all-time meetings (6-1).
“Well, it was just a game that BC played very well,” said head coach
Mike Martin. “They didn’t make an error; I can see why they are fielding
.980 on the year. They are a solid defensive club. I was very, very
pleased with the fight that we showed. Let’s give BC a lot of credit;
they deserved to win this afternoon.”
Stephen Cardullo posted his first multi-home run game of the season
while tying a season-high with four RBI. The senior shortstop hit a
two-run shot in the first and then a solo shot in the eighth. Mike McGee
and Sean Gilmartin joined Cardullo with two hits a piece in the loss.
“I was very excited for him,” said Martin on Cardullo connecting on a
pair of home runs on Friday. “We know its there, we were very pleased
with the at-bats he had tonight.”
Boston College’s Brad Zapenas led all players on Friday with four hits
as the Eagle shortstop went 4-for-4 with three singles and a double.
Robbie Anston drove in four runs as he also registered a multi-home run
game with a solo shot in the first and a three-run shot in the seventh.
His home run in the seventh provided the winning margin for the Eagles
in game one.
Gilmartin (6-5) suffered his third straight loss as the sophomore
southpaw went just 3.1 innings on Friday, his shortest outing of the
season. The Eagles tagged Gilmartin for six runs on seven hits as the
Seminole starter walked two and struck out three.
Florida State jumped out to the early lead in game one scoring three
runs in the top of the first. After Tyler Holt led off the game with a
walk, Cardullo connected on his first home run since February 27 sending
a line drive over the fence in left field for a two-run shot and 2-0
Seminole lead. FSU then loaded the bases on back-to-back singles by Mike
McGee and Stuart Tapley, while Sherman Johnson drew a one out walk.
Devon Travis plated the third run of the inning dropping a bloop single
to short center scoring McGee. BC starter Mike Dennhardt (4-6) got of
jam as he recorded consecutive strikeouts to end the Seminoles at-bat in
the first.
Boston College answered with a run in the bottom half of the first as
Anston led off the inning with the first of two home runs, a solo shot
to right center. The senior center fielder took a 2-0 pitch from
Gilmartin out of the park for his fourth home run of the season. The
Eagles put runners at second and third with one out, but left them
stranded as Gilmartin recorded a strikeout and a fly out to right to end
the inning.
The Seminoles left two stranded in the third following consecutive
one-out singles by Jayce Boyd and Johnson. Dennhardt kept the FSU lead
at 3-1 getting a groundout back to the mound and a fly out to left for
the final two outs of the inning.
An outstanding catch by Anston in centerfield robbed the Seminoles of a
run in the fourth. Holt registered a one out double down the line in
left and would have scored on a ball headed to the gap in right center
off the bat of Cardullo. But Anston came through with a great diving
catch to keep the score at 3-1.
“That was a big play, no doubt about it,” added Martin on Anston’s catch
in center in the fourth. “It was a great play that he made; good players
make great plays.”
The Eagles erupt for five runs off Gilmartin in the fourth to take their
first lead of the game at 6-3. With runners at the corners following a
walk and a single, Anthony Melchionda registered a double to left center
to bring both runners home and tie the game at 3-3. A pair of one out
singles including an RBI single up the middle off the bat of Garrett
Smith ended the afternoon for Gilmartin after just 3.1 innings.
John Gast came on and walked the first batter that he faced in Anston to
load the bases. The junior southpaw then issued a second walk to Matt
Hamlet to bring home Melchionda giving BC a 5-3 advantage. Mickey
Wiswall accounted for the fifth run of the inning driving in Smith on an
RBI groundout to first.
BC extended its lead on a two-out RBI double to the gap in left center
by Zapenas in the fifth. Gast sandwiched a pair of strikeouts in between
a single up the middle by Melchionda. Zapenas gave the Eagles a 7-3 lead
on his fifth double of the season.
Florida State scored two in the sixth to draw within two of the Eagle
lead at 7-5. Gilmartin, who moved from the mound to right field, led off
the inning with a double to the gap in right center. He advanced to
third on a groundout to second by Rafael Lopez and scored two batters
later on a groundout to third off the bat of Cardullo.
The out by Cardullo ended the afternoon for Dennhardt, who went 5.2
innings. The sophomore right hander allowed five runs on eight hits as
he walked four and struck out six on 120 pitches.
Taylor Lasko entered and gave up an RBI single to McGee scoring Holt
from second, who reached on a walk from Dennhardt.
Tye Buckley faced just three batters in the sixth before Martin went to
the bullpen for the third time on Friday bringing on Robby Scott. With a
pair of runners aboard and one out, Scott got John Spatola swinging on
strikes and Matt Watson to fly out to center for out number three.
The Seminoles continued to inch closer to the Eagle lead scoring a run
in the seventh to cut the deficit to 7-6. Johnson drew a one out walk
off Lasko and moved to second on a wild pitch. Gilmartin kept the inning
alive as he beat out an infield chopper to second. The hustle by
Gilmartin loomed large as Lopez stepped in and went opposite field
lacing an RBI double to the gap in left center scoring Johnson from
third.
Boston College pushed its lead back to four on a three-run homer by
Anston. Daniel Bennett started seventh and gave up a pair of infield
singles before being replaced by Geoff Parker with two outs. On the
first pitch from Parker, Anston was swinging away blasting a home run
over the scoreboard in right for his second home run of the afternoon to
give the Eagles a 10-6 advantage.
Cardullo connected on his second home run of the afternoon in the eighth
matching his season home run total. The senior shortstop took a 1-1
pitch from Lasko over the fence in left center to cut the BC lead to
10-7.
Kevin Moran and Matt Brazis pitched the final 1.1 innings in preserving
the victory for the Eagles. Brazis recorded all three outs in the ninth
to pick up his seventh save of the season.
The Seminoles return to the diamond for game two of the series against
the Eagles on Saturday, May 8 at 1:30 p.m. Fans can listen in locally on
100.7 FM and on the web at Seminoles.com.
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