Super Regional Video Report
Game 1 Photo GalleryIt was another
soggy contest on a Friday in Tallahassee, but this result was much
different as Florida State came out on the wrong end of a 7-2 score.
A week earlier, Florida State was forced to wait to play Marist due to a
five hour and twelve minute delay in the Ohio State-Georgia contest.
Friday’s weather delay was even more severe as the two teams had to wait
out over six hours of suspended play.
The Seminoles will look back on missed opportunities as they amassed 10
hits only to score two runs. As a team, Florida State left 14 runners on
base compared to Arkansas’ five.
While the Seminoles were leaving people on the base paths, they also
weren’t helping their cause in the field committing 3 errors.
“We were looking for someone to give us that lift,” Head coach Mike
Martin said. “But you have to credit Arkansas. Their pitchers didn’t
give us a chance to get that big hit. You have to credit them.”
“Baseball is timely hitting and we didn’t have it today, and they got
the job done,” Tyler Holt added. “The numbers left on base doesn’t help
us, but it’s not like the guys are going out there and trying to leave
them on. Hopefully tomorrow we’ll have some timely hitting and pull
through this loss.”
With the game tied at two in the top of the seventh inning, Florida
State found themselves in a relatively good position.
After working a flawless sixth inning, reliever Geoff Parker lost
control and was unable to find the strike zone. Parker walked two
hitters and hit another to load the bases without recording an out.
Arkansas made the most of their opportunity by sacrificing home all
three runs without registering a single base hit.
“It’s something that is uncharacteristic,” Martin said of allowing three
runs without surrendering a hit. “But there again, it is what we talked
about before, the unpredictability of this sport.”
Martin’s Seminoles threw Sean Gilmartin in game one in hopes of getting
a win right off the bat. Unfortunately, the delays doomed Gilmartin’s
outing despite only throwing 70 pitches.
Including the initial game warm-ups, Gilmartin was forced to warm up a
total of three times in between lengthy layoffs.
“Sean Gilmartin is just one of those kind of competitors you felt
comfortable with the whole time he was out there,” Martin said. “He is
in total control of everything, unfortunately the weatherman didn’t
cooperate. He certainly showed what he is all about going out there
three times. That’s quite a reputation to have.”
“It’s a challenge every single time you get delayed,” Gilmartin added.
“You get kind of antsy and want to get back out there as soon as
possible, but I just kind of have to stay with the mindset of what I am
doing. I can only control certain things and I can’t control the
weather.”
Down 1-0 in the series, Florida State now faces elimination on Saturday
afternoon, a situation they are not unfamiliar with.
In last year’s super regional against Wichita State, Florida State also
dropped the first game and came back to win the series in three games to
clinch a spot in Omaha.
“We really can’t do much other than to come out tomorrow and fight for
27 outs,” Stuart Tapley said. “That is what we are going to do
regardless of any weather conditions. We are all going to fight for 27
outs, we aren’t going to give up. We are going to come out tomorrow and
play our game.”
Florida State is expected to start Brian Busch on Saturday afternoon,
while the Razorbacks will counter with Brett Eibner. First pitch is
slated for high noon as long as the weather permits.
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