No. 8 Florida State baseball snapped its four-game losing streak on Tuesday, taking down Stetson 9-2 to secure the season series against the Hatters.
Hunter Carns had a major night, going 3-for-5 with a home run, a double and five RBIs as the Seminoles improved to 25-11 on the season with the midweek win.
Cooper Whited (2-2) earned the victory on the mound, allowing one run on one hit over three innings, striking out three without
issuing a walk. Brodie Purcell followed with two scoreless innings and five strikeouts. Chris Knier allowed four hits and one earned run across two frames before Ben Barrett closed it out with a scoreless ninth, inducing a double-play groundout to end it.
Florida State put the first run on the board without a hit as John Stuetzer drew a walk, stole second and scored on a fielding error by Stetson shortstop Landon Russell when Kelvyn Paulino Jr. reached to make it 1-0 in the first.
Stetson tied things up in the top of the third, but FSU responded immediately after Cal Fisher reached on a catcher’s error, Brayden Dowd singled through the right side and Carns launched a three-run homer to left off Stetson starter Ethan Phillips to push the lead to 4-1.
The Hatters pulled within two in the sixth and had a chance to further threaten with runners first and second with one out and loading them with two out, but a Knier strikeout stranded all three runners.
The Seminoles then broke the game open in the seventh. Fisher reached on an error, Dowd walked and Stuetzer dropped a bunt single to load the bases. Carns then ripped a two-run double to left to score Fisher and Dowd. Nathan Cmeyla followed with a two-run double to right to plate Stuetzer and Carns. Cmeyla then advanced to third on a wild pitch before Brody DeLamielleure singled to shallow center to cap the five-run frame.
Purcell came in at the top of the seventh, giving up a single and hitting the next batter, but stranded both after three strikeouts to close out the frame — the last time Stetson would threaten as the Hatters went three up, three down over the next two innings.
Up next for Florida State is a home series against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (17-15, 7-11 ACC).
