ATLANTA, GA. (Seminoles.com) — No. 25 Florida State (21-15, 15-12) dropped the series finale Sunday at Georgia Tech (19-16, 15-12), falling to the Yellow Jackets 9-8 at Mac Nease Ballpark. Mat Nelson hit his 18th home run, the most in the country, before exiting the game in the sixth inning.
Earlier Sunday, the Seminoles secured the series win in a completed game from Saturday night. Florida State has won three of four road series this season.
Nander De Sedas and Elijah Cabell also hit home runs for the Seminoles. FSU led 5-0 after the first inning, but a six-run fifth inning from Georgia Tech helped the Jackets avoid the series sweep.
Tyler Martin reached base four times without a hit – a career-high three walks and a hit by pitch. He is reaching base at a .488 clip this season.
Nelson hit his third home run of the weekend in the first inning, pushing his season total to 18, the most in the country. Nelson’s two-run home run also gives him 54 runs batted in, the most in the ACC, and scored Martin, who led off the game with a walk.
Four batters later, De Sedas hit his sixth home run of the year, a three-run blast that scored Davis Hare and Wyatt Crowell for a 5-0 Seminole lead. De Sedas has a home run in four consecutive ACC series.
Both starting pitchers threw only 1.0 innings Sunday. Sam Crawford allowed all five runs in the first inning on three hits and three walks. Conor Grady was perfect in the first inning but allowed two hits and three walks without an out as the Yellow Jackets scored three runs in the second inning to cut into FSU’s lead.
Hunter Perdue relieved Grady and did not allow a hit for 3.0 innings, setting a career high for innings pitched. The junior struck out one and allowed just two baserunners – a hit batter that was erased on a double play and a walk that was erased on Nelson’s 11th caught stealing of the year.
Georgia Tech started the fifth inning with five consecutive hits, the last four against Tyler Ahearn (0-1). Tech took a 9-5 lead in the inning before FSU clawed back late with Cabell’s ninth home run of the year that made it 9-6. After three walks, FSU scored on a wild pitch but left two runners on in the seventh inning.
In the ninth, Robby Martin singled and Cabell drew a walk before De Sedas singled off the pitcher’s leg to make it a 9-8 game. Jackson Greene grounded into a double play to end the game.
Zach Maxwell (2-1) earned the win, allowing two runs (one earned) in 2.2 relief innings. Luke Bartnicki recorded seven outs for his fifth save of the year.
OF NOTE:
- Mat Nelson homered for the third straight game and has a home run in seven of the past eight ACC games. His 18 home runs are the most for a Seminole in the BBCOR bat era (since 2011), are the most in the country this season and give him 54 RBI on the year.
- Nelson has 18 home runs in 35 team games this season, tied for the second-fastest to 18 home runs in FSU history (Jeff Ledbetter, 21 games in 1982; Mike Fuentes, 35 games in 1981).
- Nelson now has 54 runs batted in, the most in the ACC and Top 5 nationally. Nelson added a double off the left field wall in his second at-bat and now leads FSU with 10 on the season.
- Behind the plate, Nelson threw out a basestealer in the fourth inning. For the year, he has retired 11 of 24 potential basestealers.
- Nander De Sedas hit a three-run home run in the first inning, his sixth of the season. De Sedas has a home run in four consecutive weekend series and added a triple Friday against the Yellow Jackets. De Sedas’s RBI single in the ninth inning tied his career high with four RBI.
- Tyler Martin extended his ACC lead in walks to 36 after drawing a free base in each of his first three plate appearances. The three walks tie a season and career high and Martin has successfully reached base in 46 of 49 career starts. He was later hit by a pitch for the 10th time this season, a team high.
- Relief pitcher Hunter Perdue pitched a career-high 3.0 innings. He did not allow a hit, walked one and struck out one.
- Relief pitcher Wyatt Crowell, who started and ended the game as FSU’s center fielder, did not allow a run in a career-high 2.2 innings pitched.
- The Seminoles fell to 15-2 when scoring first.
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).
