⚾: Noles Fall in Extras at Mercer

MACON, Ga. – For the second consecutive game, No. 10 Florida State (5-3) lost in extra innings, falling 6-5 in 11 innings Tuesday night to Mercer (8-1) at OrthoGeorgia Park in Macon. The Bears scored the final five runs of the game, including a bases-loaded walk-off single by Bill Knight.

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Third baseman Brett Roberts had three of Florida State’s 11 hits, including a fifth-inning home run that gave FSU a 5-1 lead. After Mercer took a 1-0 lead against Carson Montgomery in the first inning, Logan Lacey hit a two-run triple in the third inning and scored on an error by the catcher on the same play.

In the fourth, Lacey hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly that scored Jordan Carrion before Roberts’ home run in the fifth inning.

Conner Whittaker entered with two runners on base and no outs in the fifth inning. Mercer scored a run on a passed ball, but two strikeouts and a flyout ended the Bears’ threat. In the sixth, Trevor Austin hit a solo home run, but Whittaker rallied to retire the final five batters he faced.

Mercer scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth inning after two walks, a wild pitch and a single. The Bears tied the game on a throwing error before Jackson Nezuh struck out two batters with the bases loaded to extend the game.

Jackson Baumeister (0-2) struck out the side in the 10^th before allowing Knight’s walk-off single in the 11th.

SCORING SUMMARY:

B1 | FSU 0, Mercer 1          Price grounded out, DiSpigna scored
T3 | FSU 3, Mercer 1           Lacey tripled, Vincent & Rank scored; Lacey scored on fielding error
T4 | FSU 4, Mercer 1           Lacey sac fly, Carrion scored
T5 | FSU 5, Mercer 1           Roberts home run
B5 | FSU 5, Mercer 2          Mapes scored on passed ball
B6 | FSU 5, Mercer 3          Austin home run
B9 | FSU 5, Mercer 5          Burke singled, Austin scored; Franklin scored on throwing error
B11 | FSU 5, Mercer 6         Knight singled, Rohrbacher scored

UP NEXT:

Florida State heads back to Tallahassee for a three-game series against the visiting Cal Bears. This will be the first series between the teams in program history, with FSU winning the only previous game in the 1992 College World Series.

OF NOTE:

• Freshman Jaime Ferrer singled in the second inning and now has a hit in all eight games to begin his career. Jordan Carrion doubled and has a hit in five straight games.
• Reese Albert and James Tibbs both had their seven-game hit streaks end, but extended their on-base streak to eight games. Alex Toral doubled and has also reached base in all eight games this year.
• Mercer scored a run in the first inning, the first FSU has allowed in the opening frame this season.
• Logan Lacey hit a two-run triple to get FSU on the board. It was Lacey’s first career triple and the fourth for FSU this season, surpassing the 2021 total of three in just eight games.
• Conner Whittaker set career-highs with 3.0 innings pitched and four strikeouts. He earned the win, the first of his career.

For more information on Florida State baseball, check Seminoles.com for the latest news and scheduling information, and keep up with the team on social media through Twitter and Facebook (@FSUBaseball) & Instagram and TikTok (@NoleBaseball).