⚾: Eight-Run 7th Leads Noles Past Mercer

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida State (13-8) scored eight runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat Mercer (13-11) 8-1 Wednesday night in front of 1,134 fans at Dick Howser Stadium. Right-handed pitcher Jack Anderson threw 6.2 perfect innings for the Seminoles and Elijah Cabell’s two-run, go-ahead home run in the seventh inning was his third in three games.

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Anderson needed just 79 pitches to record his 20 outs, with seven flyouts, seven groundouts and six strikeouts. Mercer’s Brandon Michie hit a solo home run in the seventh inning that snapped Anderson’s perfect game and broke a scoreless tie.

Making just his third career start, and first of the season, Anderson set career highs for innings pitched and six strikeouts.

The Seminoles answered in the bottom of the inning with eight runs on six hits. Robby Martin singled before Cabell’s fourth home run of the season gave FSU a 2-1 lead. Cabell has hit a home run in all three games since being reinserted in the starting lineup Saturday against Wake Forest.

Reese Albert followed with a single and scored on Wyatt Crowell’s triple to centerfield, FSU’s first three-bagger of the year. Crowell scored on Vince Smith’s sacrifice fly and Colton Vincent walked and scored on Tyler Martin’s RBI single for a 5-1 lead after seven.

Tyler Martin scored on a wild pitch and Cabell capped the scoring with a two-run single, giving him four RBI in the frame. Mercer used five pitchers in the seventh inning.

Clayton Kwiatkowski (1-1) earned the win for the Noles, striking out Colby Thomas to end the seventh inning and throwing a perfect eighth inning. Luke Sutko (2-1) was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs on five hits.

Brandon Walker closed the game with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

Florida State resumes Atlantic Coast Conference play this weekend at home against North Carolina. The Seminoles and Tar Heels will play Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at noon.

OF NOTE

• Starting pitcher Jack Anderson set career highs with 6.2 innings pitched and six strikeouts. He retired the first 20 batters of the game.
• Elijah Cabell homered for the third straight game, hitting a go-ahead two-run home in the bottom of the seventh inning. He added two more RBI on a single in the seventh inning and his four RBI are a season high.
• Wyatt Crowell hit an RBI triple in the seventh inning, the first of his career and FSU’s first triple of the season.
• First baseman Tyler Martin reached base three times Wednesday, extending his walks to an ACC-best 22. He has successfully reached base in 34 of 35 career starts.
• Martin and third baseman Ryan Romano were each hit by a pitch Wednesday and are tied for the team lead with six.
• Second baseman Jackson Greene singled in his first two at-bats, his third career multi-hit game.
• Catcher Colton Vincent doubled in the third inning, his first hit as a Seminole.
• FSU’s eight runs in the 7^th inning are the most in an inning this season for the Noles.
• Dating back to 1992, FSU has won 26 straight games against Mercer and is 65-8 all-time against the Bears.
• Wednesday’s game was a makeup of the postponed March 2 game.

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).