Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Florida State one win away from series
TALLAHASSEE — Trailing 4-0 after the top of the second inning with little going right, it would have been easy to give in and move on to the next game.
But that’s just not modus operandi for this Florida State baseball team.
The Seminoles (44-21) rallied from a four-run deficit, overcoming a poor start from their ace pitcher and many other bad breaks to earn a 7-6 walk-off victory over the Sam Houston State Bearkats (44-22) in the opening game of the Tallahassee Super Regional Saturday.
“We have 27 guys that will not back down,” FSU head coach Mike Martin said. “I’m very proud of these guys because it was a pure display of competing and that really, really excites me.”
FSU left fielder Jackson Lueck, who was feeling under the weather on Saturday, played a critical role in the Seminoles’ rally.
Lueck went 4-for-5, delivering an RBI single in each of his final four at-bats on Saturday. Each hit made a major impact, but the final one looms largest.
With runners on first and second and no outs, Lueck ripped a ball into right, scoring Taylor Walls and giving the Seminoles the walk-off victory. The walk-off hit was the fifth of Lueck’s FSU career and his third this season.
It was also Florida State’s first walk-off victory in a Super SunSentinel.com/sports Regional game since 2010.
“This guy right here is a true leader,” Martin said of Lueck. “This is what makes us coaches proud.”
The Seminoles struggled early with Sam Houston State’s bunt-heavy and highly aggressive offensive strategy. During the first three innings, the Bearkats plated five runs, four of which were unearned after a pair of errors by FSU starting pitcher Tyler Holton.
During 6.2 innings, Holton allowed six runs, matching his career high, on six hits with four walks, a new career high.
“They definitely did a great job of keeping me off balance,” Holton said. “They did a good job of playing their game and I had trouble playing my game early on.”
FSU will aim to stay hot when it faces Sam Houston State in the second game of Tallahassee Super Regional at noon Sunday. The Seminoles will start Drew Parrish (5-3, 4.67 ERA) against Bearkats ace Heath Donica (9-2, 1.91 ERA).
“There’s still a lot of baseball to be played,” Martin said. “You can’t fall in love with yourself.
“You have to be ready to go tomorrow.”