John Stuetzer recorded four RBI as Florida State baseball jumped on Notre Dame early in a 9-7 series-clinching win over the Irish on Saturday, April 18.
The No. 8 Seminoles (27-11, 11-6 ACC) chased Notre Dame’s Jack Radel out in three innings. Radel hadn’t thrown fewer than six innings in his last four starts, and he allowed a season-high seven runs on six hits, while issuing three walks and not recording a strikeout in his start on Saturday.
Despite not striking out against Radel, who had struck out 69 in nine starts coming into the game, FSU struck out nine times against Notre Dame’s bullpen in five innings.
Chase Williams, who went 2-for-4 and scored twice, recorded four stolen bases, which ties his FSU career-best four stolen bases against Stetson last season.
FSU scored four in the first inning, with a RBI single from Nathan Cmeyla, his fourth RBI of the series, the first run of the inning. An RBI single from John Stuetzer was followed by an RBI double for Cal Fisher. Gabe Fraser grounded into a fielder’s choice that scored the last run of the inning.
The four-run inning gave FSU’s Trey Beard a three-run cushion. He allowed a solo home run on the third pitch of the game and hit a batter within the first eight pitches of his outing. Beard quickly settled, however, as he retired the next eight batters, including five strikeouts, before allowing another solo home run in the fourth inning.
Beard finished the game with 5.1 innings pitched, five earned runs, and he recorded eight strikeouts with six hits and a walk allowed on 93 pitches.
The Seminoles loaded the bases twice in the second inning, but only scratched two runs across on a sacrifice fly and a fielder’s choice. Bino Watters hit a leadoff home run against Beard in the fourth inning, but FSU scored two more in the home half of the inning.
Stuetzer hit a two-out, two-RBI triple to put FSU ahead 8-2. He flew a ball deep to center field, which Notre Dame’s Brandon Logan lost in the sun as it bounced behind him and to the wall. Stuetzer finished the day 2-for-4, and he’s recorded seven RBI in the series.
FSU added another run in the fifth as Eli Putnam hit his second home run of the series, a solo shot, to go ahead 9-2.
Notre Dame clawed back into the game with a four-run sixth inning. Beard struck out the first batter he faced, but after a walk and a double, Watters hit an RBI double, which was quickly followed by an RBI single, Beard’s last at-bat of the game. Chris Knier replaced Beard, but he threw only 13 pitches and allowed one hit and a walk.
John Abraham replaced him and inherited a bases-loaded situation. He allowed an RBI single, but a throw from Williams in left field beat Notre Dame’s Jayce Lee to home plate to record the final out and save a run, keeping FSU ahead 9-6.
Abraham had a rocky end to his outing, allowing three hits and three walks in his 3.1 innings of relief. While he allowed a run across and three base runners in the ninth inning, he forced a double play to end the game and clinch the series.
How to watch FSU baseball vs. Notre Dame
Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU baseball clinches series against Notre Dame with 9-7 win
Reporting by Liam Rooney, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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