Florida State used five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to secure a dramatic 6-2 come-from-behind victory over visiting Bethune-Cookman in the NCAA Regional opener on Friday night at Dick Howser Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla.
B-CU starting pitcher Francisco Rodriguez looked brilliant through six innings of baseball Friday night as B-CU clung to a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. For the second consecutive year in an NCAA Regional opener, B-CU (33-26) got a magnificent game from their starter, and led heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.
The Wildcats jumped on top of FSU (48-11) in the second inning when first baseman Alejandro Jimenez connected on a Michael Hyde first-pitch fastball that eventually sailed over the right centerfield wall to boost B-CU on top, 1-0.
Back-to-back singles from catcher Drew Clark and senior Jos? Almonte put runners on with one out. That allowed centerfielder Jos? Ortiz-Rivera to draw a walk from Hyde to load-up the bases. Neal Jones collected a sacrifice fly to deep left field to push across Clark for the 2-0 B-CU lead.
Rodriguez then continued to mow down the hot-swinging Seminoles through six innings of play. He even forced National Player of the Year and FSU second baseman Tony Thomas, Jr. into a 0-for-3 night.
In the seventh, Rodriguez got FSU centerfielder Mark Gildea to strikeout to have a runner on first with one out in the inning.
D'Vontrey Richardson then walked and first baseman Brandon Reichert singled through the right side to plate the first run of the game for the Seminoles. With Thomas at the plate, B-CU head coach Mervyl Melendez knew Rodriguez was at the end of his night as he elected to go to the bullpen in the form of Felix Machado.
Thomas collected a sacrifice fly to centerfield that scored Richardson to knot the game at 2-2.
Seminoles shortstop Mark Hallberg then banged home a run-scoring double for the 3-2 FSU lead that ignited the Seminoles home crowd. But it was nowhere near the crowd noise that boomed when catcher Buster Posey blasted a two-run shot over the scoreboard in left field that put FSU up 5-2.
Reliever Joseph Gautier finished off the inning in relief of Machado for the `Cats.
FSU tacked on another run via a long ball from Jason Stidham in the eighth to make the score the final of 6-2.
Rodriguez was 6.1 innings pitched while allowing three runs on six hits and striking out seven batters with three walks. With the loss, Rodriguez most likely ended his collegiate career at B-CU with a record 10-4 on the season.
As for the Seminoles starter, Hyde settled in after that second inning to allow two runs total with seven hits and five strikeouts.
Reliever Matt Fairel collected the win for the Seminoles to improve to 2-0 on the campaign. He struck-out seven batters without a single hit allowed by the Wildcats.
The Wildcats were paced by right fielder Angel Mercado with a 2-for-4 night, while Jimenez collected a hit via the homerun. Henault, Clark and Almonte rounded out the hits for B-CU.
FSU was led by Posey with a 3-for-4 night and two RBI, while teammates Stidham and Hallberg also registered two hits apiece for the Seminoles.
Bethune-Cookman will now play local opponent Stetson University tomorrow at 1 p.m. back at Dick Howser Stadium. This will be the first time in history that B-CU and SU will face-off in a Regional contest.