The Noles needed a response after getting swept out in Palo Alto last weekend. They got one, and then some. Florida State took all three games from the Pittsburgh Panthers at Dick Howser Stadium over the weekend, outscoring Pitt 24-10 across the series to go a perfect 4-0 on the week. FSU’s RPI improved to No. 7 nationally in the process. After the Stanford debacle, this was exactly what the doctor ordered.
Game 1 (Saturday DH): FSU 10, Pitt 1
Wes Mendes put the weekend on his back right from the jump. After a weather delay pushed Friday night’s game to Saturday afternoon, the junior lefty threw a complete game, allowing just one run on five hits with no walks and seven strikeouts on 105 pitches. The only run he allowed came on a leadoff homer from Lorenzo Carrier in the fourth, and from there he retired 15 consecutive batters before a ninth-inning single. Mendes earned ACC pitcher of the week honors for his dominant performance against the Panthers.
It was FSU’s first nine-inning complete game since Drew Parrish on May 25, 2018, which tells you just how special a performance this was. Offensively, the Noles did plenty of damage with a four-spot in the second and six in the sixth. Gabe Fraser stole home, John Stuetzer doubled home two runners, and Brody DeLamielleure added another single to cap the big frame. Pitt committed three errors, but FSU’s approach at the plate was sharp regardless.
Game 2 (Saturday DH): FSU 8, Pitt 5
No nine-inning gem this time, but the Noles got the job done. Trey Beard came out firing, striking out three in a scoreless first, and FSU jumped on Pitt early with Nathan Cmeyla and Gabe Fraser driving in runs to build a 5-0 lead through two innings.
Pitt clawed back in the third. Beard gave up a leadoff homer, then back-to-back singles set the table for Lorenzo Carrier, who crushed a three-run shot to right that cut the FSU lead to one. But the Seminoles answered. In the fifth, Hunter Carns and Nathan Cmeyla hit back-to-back solo shots to push the lead back to three, and John Abraham finished things off from the bullpen, combining with Beard for 13 strikeouts on the day while holding Pitt to a .125 average with runners in scoring position.
Link Jarrett summed it up after the doubleheader: “This was tough, and you know how good that team is, how well they’ve been playing, who they’ve beaten and how they beat them. So, impressed all around.”
Game 3 (Sunday): FSU 6, Pitt 4
Sunday was the most dramatic of the three. Starter Bryson Moore only lasted 3.1 innings, and a throwing error from Payton Manca on a would-be double play allowed a couple of extra Pitt runs to score, leaving the Noles trailing 4-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth. Then Link Jarrett got tossed.
An interference ruling went against FSU, and Jarrett went out to challenge the call at second base but was ejected before he got there, walking off to a roar from the Dick Howser crowd. What happened next said a lot about this team. From the moment Jarrett was gone, Florida State scored the final five runs of the game. Sometimes it’s just the spark the team needs to ignite a comeback and that is exactly what happened.
Carter McCulley started the rally with a homer to lead off the sixth, his second of the season, and DeLamielleure followed with an RBI triple off the screen in right-center before scoring on an infield single by Hunter Carns. From there, Chris Knier retired the final nine Pitt batters, going three up, three down through the seventh, eighth, and ninth to finish off the sweep.
McCulley finished 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles and a home run. Manca and Knier combined for 5.2 innings, allowing two hits, no earned runs, and five strikeouts after Moore’s early exit. The bullpen saved the day.
Final Thoughts
Three games. Three wins. Twenty-four runs scored. After the Stanford sweep stung the Noles, this weekend was a statement. FSU went 4-0 on the week against a Pitt team that came in as one of the hottest lineups in the country, and the pitching staff held them in check all series long.
The Noles now sit at 33-14 overall and 15-9 in the ACC, tied for third in the conference standings with two series remaining. The RPI sitting at No. 7 nationally means a top 8 national seed, and all the benefits that come with hosting a Super Regional are very much in play. But it’s not locked up yet.
The final two ACC series are as significant as any all season. FSU heads to Clemson this weekend, then closes out the regular season at home against Miami the following week. Winning both of those series against rival programs would be a great resume boost going into tournament time, even if Clemson is struggling this season.
There’s a lot at stake over the next few weeks. A bye vs. a potential double-bye in Charlotte for the ACC tournament. The potential of hosting a Super. This is where the stakes get raised, and the Noles must finish what they started. Stay tuned to your source for fan-focused FSU coverage here at Plant The Spear. Thanks for reading and Go Noles!