The FSU and Duke baseball teams scored early and often in Saturday’s matchup. In a game that saw 23 combined runs, the Seminoles came away with the run that mattered in the eighth inning to clinch the weekend series. The 12-11 win came at a cost as Florida State’s star first baseman Myles Bailey suffered what appeared to be a severe leg injury.
Trey Beard struck out the first batter he faced before giving up his only walk of the game. The walk came back to haunt Beard after a Duke double placed two
runners in scoring position. A sacrifice fly from the Blue Devils made it a 1-0 game before Beard avoided any further damage. The Seminoles took the lead right back in the bottom of the first. John Stuetzer led off with a hit by pitch and then stole second. Myles Bailey walked and Kelvyn Paulino Jr reached by error to load the bases. Brayden Dowd singled to tie the game before Eli Putnam reached on a fielder’s choice to short that scored Bailey. Hunter Carns singled to extend the lead to 3-1 before an infield single by Chase Williams made it 4-1. The Seminoles were unable to bring any additional runs across in the inning.
With four on the scoreboard after just one inning, the Seminoles needed a strong bounce back inning for Beard. Unfortunately, the junior for FSU had an off day. Duke opening the inning with back-to-back singles. A pop out and strike out had the Seminoles on the cusp of escaping any damage but a two-out double gave Duke their second run of the game. The Blue Devils followed that up with a two-run single and the game was again tied. FSU caught Duke stealing to end the inning. FSU’s offense responded in the bottom of the second with a run of their own. Bailey started the offense off with a one out single to center. He then stole second and advanced to third on an error. Paulino brought him home with a single to left. FSU ended up leaving two on base in the inning but headed to the third with a 5-4 lead.
Both teams were kept off the scoreboard in the third but Duke jumped back out in front to start the fourth inning. After a leadoff single, Duke’s Michael DiMartini crushed a two-run homerun to left field, giving the Blue Devil’s a 6-5 lead. That would remain the score until the sixth inning when FSU’s Brodie Purcell replaced Beard. Purcell picked up two quick outs before allowing a double to DiMartini. Duke then hit a grounder up the middle that Fisher fielded but threw wide of first base. The throw looked unnecessary as Fisher had no chance at the runner. The errant throw led to Duke’s seventh run of the game. Purcell quickly picked up the third out. Beard’s final line: 5 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 5 K.
To start the bottom of the sixth, Stuetzer led off with a single. Myles Bailey stepped into the box next and absolutely obliterated a ball over the right field fence. The two-run shot was his 13th of the year and tied the game for FSU. Paulino singled and was later brought home for FSU’s third run of the inning off a Carns groundout.
Purcell sat down Duke 1-2-3 in the seventh and Florida State again hung a three spot in their frame. Carter McCulley lined a double down the right field line before a Fisher strike out. Stuetzer singled and Bailey once again stood in the batter’s box. Duke would not see Bailey beat them again and intentionally walked him to load the bases. Duke then unintentionally walked both Paulino and Dowd for FSU’s first two runs of the inning. Putnam fouled out before the Blue Devils issued their third RBI walk, this time to Carns. The back-to-back three run innings gave FSU an 11-7 lead.
Purcell remained on the mound in the eighth and the wheels came off for Florida State. Duke opened the inning with a single and an RBI double. Another single followed by a wild pitch gave Duke their second run. Purcell punched out DiMartini before giving up another hit leading to Duke’s third run. Chris Knier replaced Purcell and walked the first batter he faced before an infield single loaded the bases. Knier then walked the next batter to give Duke their fourth run of the inning, tying the game at 11. Knier finally ended the nightmare inning with a strikeout. Purcell’s final line: 2.1 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 2 K.
Florida State recaptured the lead in the bottom of the eighth, but it came at a cost. McCulley singled to center to start off the frame. He quickly moved all the way to third on a sacrifice bunt by Fisher and flyout by Stuetzer. Duke intentionally walked Bailey for the second time of the game and Paulino stepped to the plate. Duke’s pitcher, Caleb Anderson, attempted to pick off Bailey at first but threw wide. The throw allowed McCulley to score but Bailey would suffer what appeared to be a major lower leg injury sliding into second. His leg was air casted and he was carted off the field.
The injury along with a medical emergency in the stands led to a long delay before the start of the ninth. Knier remained in for the Seminoles and allowed a single. Duke laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runner to second. FSU turned to Gabe Nard to face his old Blue Devil teammates. Nard picked up a groundout and a clutch strike out to give FSU the series win.
