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Video:
Martin post-game Q&A following 10-5 win over UF
TAMPA, FL- Slow and steady wins the race,
but don’t tell that to the Seminoles.
Second ranked Florida State benefitted from an explosive first inning to
defeat intra-state rivals and fifth ranked Florida 10-5 at George
Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.
The Seminoles scored seven runs on six hits in the opening frame that
set the tone for the remainder of the game. First baseman Jayce Boyd
capped of the scoring by sending a two-run bomb over the left field
fence.
For head coach Mike Martin, situations like those are just a part of the
game.
“That was just one of those things that just happened to go our way,”
Martin said. “It’s just something that makes baseball the most
unpredictable sport there is. You never know what is going to happen.”
Junior pitcher and Zephyrhills native Geoff Parker turned in an
outstanding performance following in his second start of the young
season. Parker threw five and one-thirds innings, surrendering only one
run on six hits, while striking out three without issuing a single walk.
Parker’s 93-pitch effort earned him his first win of the year.
After a brilliant freshman campaign, Parker felt Tuesday’s outing was
just like old times.
“It felt good,” Parker said. “I was pitching like I used to. It was a
good feeling.
“I was throwing fastballs for strikes, curveballs for strikes. I didn’t
have to throw too many changeups.”
Previous times throughout Parker’s career, when the going got tough, the
wheels began to fall off. Not against Florida.
Florida’s fifth inning provided the perfect example. After the Gator’s
managed two consecutive singles to start off the inning, Parker induced
two ground balls and a fly ball to get out of the inning without letting
a run come across.
In fact, Parker’s only run allowed may have come as a benefit from the
swirling Tampa winds when Mike Zunino sent a pitch over the centerfield
fence.
“I just tried to throw strikes,” Parker said of his mindsets during the
jam. “Hit my spots, and get people out. That’s pretty much the thing I
did the whole game.”
Brian Busch was lights out coming in relief in the sixth inning. Busch
struck out the first two batters he faced and would go on to strike out
four batters in his two and two-thirds innings of work.
Busch didn’t allow a single hit and the only base runner allowed came
off a hit-by-pitch.
“I wasn’t sure if I was going to come in during the sixth or the
seventh,” Busch said. “When Geoff got in a little bit of trouble, I had
to pick it up. When I was in the bullpen, I wasn’t feeling well, but
when I got to the mound, I guess my heart started beating a lot faster.
I got excited, but it felt good to get out there and pitch and I was
hitting my spots better than I have.”
Offensively, the Seminoles compiled 13 total hits as four different
batters registered multi-hit games.
Tyler Holt, who went 2-for-5 on the evening, also struck out three times
in an uncharacteristic night at the plate. Holt had not struck out in
the previous six games against Georgia State and Hofstra.
However, Holt was just happy with the win and knows strikeouts are just
a part of the game of baseball.
“Any time you can beat the Gators in anything, it just means a lot to
this club,” Holt said. “We will keep rolling and hopefully good things
happen.
“Coach Shouppe said that I guy like you had a couple hits and a couple
strikeouts and it wasn’t his best outing, but he was the happiest guy in
the dugout because of the win. That’s what it is all about. It sank in,
that’s why I am here. You are going to have good nights and you are
going to have great nights.”
The Seminoles lead shrunk rapidly in the top of the ninth when closer
Andrew Durden struggled in an a-typical situation. Florida scraped
together four runs in the ninth before reliever Daniel Bennett induced a
fly ball out to get the save, the first of his career.
“You have to credit the University of Florida,” coach Martin said. “They
are an outstanding baseball team and they showed what they are all about
by coming back. But we play the greatest game in the world, it’s
baseball, it’s 27 outs. You better get them all.”
Florida State will play the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night at
7:00 p.m. from Brighthouse Field in Clearwater, Florida.
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