Florida State extends winning streak to six after walk-off win against UCF
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (BVM) — Florida State continued their winning ways after notching their sixth straight win against UCF. The Seminoles were able to climb back into the Top 25 after a big win last week against No. 5 Florida and a series sweep against No. 6 Miami. Florida State (who was 11-6 at the point) was able to pull off a walk-off win in the bottom of the 10th inning against UCF (who was 9-11) after two batters were hit by pitches and three drew walks to score two runs. The Seminoles needed two runs to win after UCF scored on a throwing error in the top of the 10th inning.
Their top three hitters led Florida State. Tyler Martin, Matheu Nelson, and Robby Martin contributed five of FSU’s six hits, five RBIs, and five runs. Leadoff hitter Tyler Martin went 3-for-4 with a walk, three runs scored, and hit his first home run of his career in the 5th inning. The Seminoles’ home run leader, Matheu Nelson, also added a home run to stack his season total to eight and put him in a tie for most in the ACC. Right fielder Robby Martin, hitting in the No. 3 spot, also contributed to Florida State’s run total with a two-run double in the bottom of the third.
The Seminoles were able to tie the game in the bottom of the 10th inning after Nelson’s infield fly with bases loaded allowed a run to score to tie the game at five. Center fielder Reese Albert was then able to win it for the Seminoles after a bases-loaded walk three batters later.
Florida State starting pitcher Carson Montgomery had half of FSU’s total strikeouts with 18. In four innings pitched, Montgomery had nine strikeouts, only allowing two runs with two walks. The Seminoles emptied the bullpen with six pitchers following Montgomery, ending with Hunter Perdue in the 10th inning to earn his first career win. Florida State’s pitching staff has struck out at least nine batters in all 17 games this season.
Since the third inning, the game was a battle when Robby Martin hit a two-run double to open the scoring with two outs off UCF starter Kenny Serwa. The Knights battled back the next inning, with Pablo Ruiz hitting a two-run single to tie the game at two.
The following inning Tyler Martin and Nelson’s home runs put the Seminoles back up two, then UCF went on to tie the game again in the eighth on an RBI double and a run scored on a groundout.
UCF was able to take the lead in the 10th inning on a throwing error from Nander De Sedas, which also snapped the Seminoles’ span of 37 innings without an error.
FSU was able to load the bases in the 10th inning after Romano and pinch hitter Elijah Cabell was hit by a pitch, and then Tyler Martin drew a walk. After Nelson’s infield fly allowed Romano to score, Robby Martin was intentionally walked, and Albert won the game on a bases-loaded walk.
After a dominating week last week for FSU, head coach Mike Martin Jr. was glad his team could battle against adversity in the win against UCF.
“It’s important to have those type of games, you know we ran into a really good club, we kept going, we punched them out 18 times, and if you would’ve told me we were going to strike them out 18 times, not make an error through nine innings, and score four runs I think we would say we’re going to win,” Martin Jr. said. “But things didn’t work out that way, and they kept going, and took some good at-bats, took some tough hit by pitches. When you have great leadership, that’s what transpires; those guys know we got a job to do.”
Coming off of their sixth straight win, first baseman Tyler Martin is looking forward to continuing this momentum going forward by sticking to how they have been performing during this stretch.
“Just staying behind the guys, a lot of encouragement, just not change a thing really because I think we are playing our best baseball right now.”
Florida State brought their winning streak into a three-game series against Wake Forest. They won the first game but lost the last two. They’ll look to start a new winning streak this Friday against North Carolina.
