CORAL GABLES, Fla. (Seminoles.com) — For the second straight game against No. 6 Miami, and the fourth consecutive game overall, Florida State (9-6, 6-5 ACC) dominated on the mound and at the plate, beating the Hurricanes 9-1 at Mark Light Field. Catcher Mat Nelson led FSU with four RBI and starting pitcher Bryce Hubbart (3-2) struck out eight in 6.0 innings for the win.
Miami (9-6, 5-5) managed just five hits and struck out 12 times against three Seminole pitchers.
Hubbart leads FSU with a 2.08 earned run average and a .139 batting average against in 21.2 innings this year.
Nelson got the scoring started for FSU with a two-run home run in the first inning, his team-high sixth of the year. His six home runs tie his most in a season (2019) and he has hit three in the past four games.
Miami scored its only run in the first inning on Christian Del Castillo’s RBI single. Hubbart rallied to strike out the next two batters and retired eight straight. In the fourth inning, Miami loaded the bases and Hubbart again got out of trouble by forcing a two-out groundout.
Hubbart was perfect in the fifth and sixth innings before turning the game over to the bullpen. Clayton Kwiatkowski and Chase Haney combined to allow one hit and strike out four in the final three innings. For Haney, his 117 career pitching appearances are the third most in FSU history.
Offensively, FSU added a run in the third inning on Robby Martin’s double and two more unearned runs on three Miami errors in the fourth inning.
Centerfielder Logan Lacey singled to score Ryan Romano in the sixth inning, followed by Nelson’s two-run single. Nelson’s four RBI are a season high and he is hitting .314 on the season with 19 RBI. The Seminoles capped the scoring in the ninth inning on Romano’s RBI single that scored Parker Messick.
The Seminoles have now won three straight Atlantic Coast Conference series, all against Top 20 opponents. After taking 2-of-3 vs. No. 16 Virginia in Tallahassee, the Noles have gone on the road and won series at No. 18 Virginia Tech (2-of-3) and No. 6 Miami.
Florida State is 7-2 on the season against Top 20 competition, with four straight wins – at No. 18 Virginia Tech (3/14, 14-7); vs. No. 5 Florida (3/16, 10-2); and at No. 6 Miami (3/19-20, 13-1 and 9-1).
Redshirt junior Conor Grady (2-1) will look to cap off FSU’s first sweep of the season on Sunday at 1 p.m. in the series finale. The game will stream on ACC Network Extra.
For more information on Florida State baseball, check Seminoles.com for the latest news and scheduling information, or keep up with the team on social media through Twitter (@FSUBaseball), Facebook (/FSUBaseball), and Instagram (@NoleBaseball).
