TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Seminoles.com) — Davis Hare and Mat Nelson each hit late-inning home runs, and the FSU bullpen continued its strong weekend, as No. 20 Florida State (23-16) rallied from an early deficit for a 4-2 win over Troy (21-21) Sunday afternoon at Dick Howser Stadium. The win clinched the series for the Seminoles.
Each team scored just seven runs over the three-game series, which FSU won two games to one. Conor Grady continued FSU’s strong starting pitching Sunday, with a career-high 13 strikeouts with no walks. He did give up a pair of runs (one earned) over 5.0 innings.
Sunday’s bullpen arms featured Tyler Ahearn (2-1), who walked two in a scoreless seventh inning; Chase Haney and Ross Dunn, who combined for a scoreless seventh and eighth innings; and Jack Anderson, who worked around a one-out walk in the ninth inning for his second save of the series.
For the weekend, FSU’s starting pitching trio of Grady, Parker Messick and Bryce Hubbart combined for 34 strikeouts without a walk over 17.2 innings. The bullpen did not give up an earned run in 9.1 innings with nine strikeouts.
Designated hitter Hare was 2-for-3 Sunday, with a double and a home run. He scored a pair of runs and his solo home run against DJ Wilkinson (0-4) in the seventh inning broke a 2-2 tie. Nelson provided an insurance run with a home run in the eighth inning, his 20th of the season.
Nelson’s 20 home runs are the most in the country this year and the most for a Seminole since Buster Posey had 26 as a junior in 2008. Nelson added two runs batted in Sunday.
Rigsby Mosley hit his first home run of the season, a two-out solo blast in the first inning, to give the visiting Trojans a 1-0 lead. In the third inning, Wyatt Crowell bobbled a hard hit ball in center field, allowing Troy to add an unearned run. With a man on third and one out, Logan Lacey made a diving stop at third base and threw across the diamond to prevent another run from scoring.
Florida State snapped a 17-inning scoreless streak and finally got to Troy starter Bay Witcher in the fifth inning. Hare doubled to open the inning and scored on Nander De Sedas’s RBI single to cut the lead in half.
Tyler Martin grounded into what appeared to be an inning-ending double play, but review showed FSU’s first baseman beat the throw and the inning continued. That proved vital for the home team when Lacey singled to the shortstop and Nelson doubled to tie the game.
Ahearn allowed a pair of walks but nothing else in the sixth inning. They were the only walks issued by the Seminoles in the three-game series.
Hare and Nelson’s solo home runs provided the final margin of victory for the Seminoles.
Anderson, who threw 2.2 innings for his first career save Friday night, allowed an infield single to Clay Stearns but back-to-back fielder’s choices secured the win for the Noles.
Bay Witcher matched Grady with two earned runs allowed in 5.0 innings for Troy. Mosley and Stearns combined for five of Troy’s eight hits.
OF NOTE:
- Conor Grady struck out 13 batters Sunday, a career-high and the most for a Seminole this season. The last Seminole with more in a game was Drew Parrish with 14 against NC State in the 2018 ACC Tournament.
- Mat Nelson hit his 20th home run of the season, extending his national lead. Nelson’s 20 home runs are the most for a Seminole since Buster Posey hit 26 in 2008. Nelson also had an RBI double, pushing his season total to 57. Nelson has a career-long 10-game hitting streak.
- Nelson (17) and Logan Lacey (two hits, 12) lead FSU in multi-hit games.
- Davis Hare is now hitting 9-for-22 on the season after a double in the fifth inning. He has three doubles, a triple and a home run with six runs scored.
- Elijah Cabell had FSU’s first hit of the game, in the second inning. Over his five-game hitting streak, Cabell is 8-for-15 with four runs, five RBI, three home runs and three walks. The third-year junior has reached base safely in 26 of his past 27 games.
- Chase Haney pitched for the 27th time this season, the most pitching appearances in the country. He has thrown in 134 career games, two shy of tying the FSU record. He retired both batters he faced Sunday.
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