Section B Online

Saturday April 03, 2010

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

Seminoles fall in consecutive games

Corey Dowlar, Warchant.com
http://floridastate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1070692

Florida State was made to rue missed opportunities as the Seminoles left 12 runners on base in an 8-7 defeat to the Virginia Tech Hokies. Florida State hitters struck out eight times on Saturday after being punched out 11 times on Friday.

The Seminoles mounted a brave comeback after falling behind 8-3 in the fifth inning roaring back to score five unanswered runs, but ultimately fell just short.

The Hokies benefitted from a Ronnie Shaban grand slam in the top of the third off of starter John Gast and continued to swing away registering 12 base hits on the night. Only one Virgina Tech starter in the lineup failed to collect a base hit.

"I haven't found a weakness in their lineup," said head coach Mike Martin. "Their ninth hitters comes in hitting .147 and I don't even want to see him coming to the plate. We fell behind, we made some pitches that were costly, but at the same time we fought to get back in it. Virginia Tech is a solid baseball team."

The Seminoles were unfortunate not to have tied the game in the bottom of the seventh when Tyler Holt stepped up to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded. The junior All-American centerfielder scorched a line drive to right center only to have the baseball lodged in between a sign and the fence forcing a ground rule double.

With runners moving on the slightest contact of the bat, Rafael Lopez looked to have a certain chance at getting to home plate to potentially tie the game.

"That has never happened," said Holt. "That would be the team's luck. 'Raffy' scores easily on that if the ball does anything other than that. That is just how it goes for us sometimes, and we will just have to bounce back tomorrow."

While the Seminoles received the unluckiest of outcomes on Holt's ground rule double, there was no room for excuses on the part of the players and coaches. Instead, it was the focus on the inability to avoid a situation where a comeback was necessary.

"We just talked about that," Holt said. "When we are good, we are jumping on teams early. There starting pitcher isn't going seven or eight innings. I feel like when we are on the ropes or losing, I feel like we allow them to be out there. The guy pitched good tonight and the guy pitched good last night, but I feel like we allow them. We just have to learn from it."

At the heart of the Seminoles lineup, coach Martin found production. Four and five hitters James Ramsey and Stuart Tapley combined to go 6-for-8 with three RBI and a walk. Ramsey and Tapley each had three hits a piece.

Virginia Tech's second win of the series clinched a weekend triumph for the Hokies for the first time in the school's history against Florida State. However, what is done is done in the mind of Tapley and his teammates.

"Last year, we didn't start off too good," Tapley explained. "So we do know how to overcome adversity. It's nothing new which isn't a good thing to say, but it happens. We are going to come out tomorrow and play for 27 outs and give it all we got."

The Seminoles will send right handed pitcher Geoff Parker to the mound as a stopper on Sunday as he will face off against Jessie Hahn. Hahn, who is 4-2 on the season with a 1.66 ERA, is the Hokies ace but has recently been suffering from kidney stones forcing him to throw on Sunday.

First pitch from Dick Howser Stadium is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Click here for a complete boxscore
Section B Online Player of the Game: James Ramsey 3-3, 1 R, 2 RBI, SF, BB