TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Seminoles.com) — Catcher Mat Nelson continued to swing a hot bat Saturday, hitting a three-run home run and recording four RBI in Florida State’s 5-1 win over Boston College. The Seminoles (18-13, 13-10 ACC) got 5.2 strong innings from starting pitcher Bryce Hubbart (4-2), beating the Eagles (14-18, 4-16) for the second straight day.
Over his past eight games, Nelson has five home runs and 21 runs batted in. The sophomore leads the ACC and ranks in the Top 5 nationally with 15 home runs and 47 RBI.
Nelson’s 15th home run of the season gave the Seminoles a 3-1 lead in the fourth inning. After Tyler Martin and Logan Lacey walked to open the inning, Nelson hit a home run off the scoreboard in left field to give FSU its first lead. Emmet Sheehan (3-3) had not allowed a baserunner before Martin’s walk.
Boston College opened the game with a single, double and walk to load the bases with no outs. Hubbart proceeded to strikeout the next three batters, but the Eagles did score on a passed ball for the early 1-0 lead.
Hubbart earned his fourth win of the year, throwing 5.2 innings and allowing just one run while striking out eight.
Ramon Jimenez hit a double to start the fourth inning and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt, but Hubbart struck out Chris Galland and Peter Burns grounded out to first to keep the FSU deficit at one.
Designated hitter Garrett Mathes singled to start the fifth inning, followed by Nander De Sedas’s fifth double of the season. Mathes scored on Tyler Martin’s sacrifice fly for a 4-1 FSU lead.
Chase Haney, Clayton Kwiatkowski, Jack Anderson and Hunter Perdue combined to pitch 3.1 innings, allowing one hit while striking out six. In three games this week, the Seminole bullpen has a 0.71 ERA in 12.2 innings, with 21 strikeouts and just six hits allowed.
Nelson capped the scoring in the seventh inning with a sacrifice fly, his first of the year.
Game three of the series is set for 1:00 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.
OF NOTE
- Mat Nelson’s three run home run in the fourth inning gives him 15 for the season, with 47 RBI. For the second game in a row, Nelson’s home run was FSU’s first hit of the game. Nelson entered the weekend ranked in the Top 10 nationally in home runs, RBI and slugging percentage.
- Nelson has at least four RBI in back-to-back games and four times this year. He has hit a home run in four straight ACC games and has 21 RBI and five home runs over the past eight games.
- Nelson also threw out his eighth baserunner of the season. He has thrown out 40 percent of attempted basestealers this year.
- Wyatt Crowell made his first career start in centerfield.
- Chase Haney made his 23rd appearance of the season, the most in the country. Haney ranks second at FSU with 130 pitching appearances and is six shy of No. 1 Kevin Lynch (136). Haney has pitched in seven straight games and nine of the past 10.
- Elijah Cabell was hit by a pitch in the sixth inning. He extended his on-base streak to a career-high 19 games and is now tied for 10th in FSU history with 31 HBPs.
- FSU struck out 14 batters Saturday and 29 for the first two games of the series. The Noles have hit double-digit strikeouts 24 times this year.
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