#24 Florida State Upends #18 Clemson 5-2 Friday

March 20, 2009

Tallahassee, FL –

Sean Gilmartin struck out eight in 6.1 innings pitched to lead #24 Florida State to a 5-2 win over #18 Clemson in front of 5,195 fans at Dick Howser Stadium on Friday night. The Seminoles, who took a 1-0 series lead, improved to 10-7 overall and 2-3 in the ACC. The Tigers, who saw their seven-game winning streak end, fell to 13-5 overall and 4-3 in ACC play.

Gilmartin (4-1) earned the win by keeping the Tigers off balance at the plate. The freshman lefthander surrendered six hits, one run, and four walks with eight strikeouts in 6.1 innings pitched. Jimmy Marshall pitched a perfect ninth inning to record his fourth save of the season. Tiger starter Trey Delk (1-1) suffered the loss, as he gave up two runs (one earned) on six hits in 5.0 innings pitched. Only two of the five runs allowed by Tiger pitchers were earned.

Clemson squandered opportunities to score runs early in the game. The Tigers put runners on first and second with no outs in the first inning, but a strikeout and groundball double play ended the frame. Then in the second inning, the Tigers loaded the bases with no outs. But Jason Stolz’s liner was snagged by a diving Stuart Tapley right next to third base, robbing Stolz of an extra-base hit. Tapley then touched the third-base bag for a double play and the Seminoles struck out the final Tiger to end the inning.

The Seminoles grabbed the first lead of the game in the third inning after the first two batters were retired. Tapley drew a walk and scored on Jason Stidham’s double to-right center.

The Tigers evened the score in the top of the fifth inning when Addison Johnson hit a solo homer to right-center, his first long ball of the season.

Florida State regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning with an unearned run. Tyler Holt lined a 1-2 pitch to left field for a one-out single and went to second on an error on a failed pickoff attempt. Two batters later, Tapley laced a two-out single to right-center to score Holt.

Rafael Lopez extended the Seminoles’ lead to 3-1 when he led off the sixth with a home run to left field on a 1-2 breaking breaking ball. It was Lopez’s third home run of the season. It was the first run allowed by freshman lefthander Will Lamb, who had pitched 9.0 innings entering the game, in 2009.

Ben Paulsen cut Florida State’s lead in half in the top of the eighth inning when he led off with a towering home run to right field, his fourth long ball of the season. Kyle Parker followed with an opposite-field double down the right-field line with no outs. But Clemson’s struggles with runners in scoring position continued, as the Tigers were unable to tie the score.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Seminoles added two unearned runs without the benefit of a hit. Leadoff batter Stephen Cardullo was hit-by-pitch and stole second base. Lopez’s sacrifice bunt advanced Cardullo to third, then Jack Posey hit a grounder to shortstop Brad Miller. Miller fielded and threw home in time to retire Cardullo, but catcher Phil Pohl could not hold onto the ball on Cardullo’s slide, allowing the Seminole to score on Pohl’s error. Two of the next three Seminoles walked to load the bases, then Tommy Oravetz was hit by a 3-2 pitch to score Posey.

Eight different Seminoles had one hit apiece. The Tigers totaled eight hits in the game and put six leadoff batters on base. However, they were 0-for-14 with runners in scoring position and 1-for-19 with runners on base. Jeff Schaus had a game-high two hits for the Tigers.

Clemson and Florida State will play game-two of the three-game series at Dick Howser Stadium on Saturday at 6:00 PM.