#7 Seminoles Defeat #14 Clemson 6-3 in ACC Tournament Thursday

May 26, 2011

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Durham, NC –

Every Seminole starter had at least one hit and James Ramsey went 2-for-3 with a homer and four RBIs to lead #7 Florida State to a 6-3 victory over #14 Clemson in the ACC Tournament in front of 2,416 fans at Durham Bulls Athletic Park on Thursday afternoon. The #2-seeded Seminoles improved to 41-16 overall and 1-1 in the ACC Tournament. The #6-seeded Tigers fell to 40-18 overall and 1-1 in the ACC Tourney.

Florida State put seven of its nine leadoff batters on base and took the lead for good with a run in the fourth inning. The Tigers pulled to within one run with two runs in the sixth inning, but the Seminoles stretched their lead back to three runs with two runs in the seventh inning and held the Tigers at bay the rest of the way.

In their second game of the ACC Tournament, the Seminoles started ace pitcher and First-Team All-ACC lefthander Sean Gilmartin (11-1), who earned the win. In 6.0 innings pitched, he gave up seven hits, three runs, and two walks with three strikeouts. Brian Busch tossed 2.0 scoreless innings, then Daniel Bennett pitched a scoreless ninth inning to record his 13th save of the season. The three Seminole pitchers combined to strand eight Tigers on base, including six in scoring position.

Tiger starter Justin Sarratt (7-2) suffered the loss. In 5.0 innings pitched, he yielded six hits, four runs, and three walks. The Tigers fell to 11-1 in Sarratt’s 12 starts on the mound in 2011. Clemson’s six pitchers combined to allow 13 hits, the most given up by Clemson this year.

The Seminoles wasted little time taking the game’s first lead in the top of the first inning. Devon Travis led off with a single to right field and Javier Lopez drew a four-pitch walk. After both runners moved up a base on Mike McGee’s sacrifice bunt, Ramsey’s lineout to center scored Travis on the sacrifice fly.

In the bottom of the first inning, Brad Miller laced a single to left field to score Pohl.

In the fourth inning, Jayce Boyd hit a one-out single to right field to up his hitting streak to 14 games. Two batters later, Justin Gonzalez drew a two-out walk, then Stuart Tapley lined a single to left field to score Boyd.

McGee led off the top of the sixth inning with a double to left field and Ramsey followed with an opposite-field, two-run homer to left field, his 10th long ball of the season, to give Florida State a 4-1 lead.

The Tigers rallied in the bottom of the sixth inning. Will Lamb led off with a single down the right-field line. Two batters later, Jeff Schaus hit a one-out single up the middle, then Chris Epps ripped a double to right-center to score Lamb. Jason Stolz’s sacrifice fly to right field plated Schaus.

Parker Brunelle led off the seventh inning with a triple to left-center. Two batters later, Lopez chopped a seeing-eye single through the right side to score pinch-runner Taiwan Easterling. McGee followed with a potential inning-ending, double-play grounder right at Stolz at second, but the ball took a high hop and Lopez went to third base on the bad-hop single. Rasmey’s sacrifice fly to right field scored Lopez.

In the ninth inning, pinch-hitter John Hinson singled through the right side to up his hitting streak to 14 games and bring the potential tying run to the plate. But Pohl popped up for the game-ending out.

Ramsey went 2-for-3 with a homer and four RBIs to lead Florida State, who totaled 13 hits in the contest. Travis, McGee, and Tapley added two hits apiece.

Pohl and Lamb had two hits apiece to pace the Tigers, who amassed 10 hits in the game.

After a day off on Friday, Clemson will face #7-seed N.C. State on Saturday at 11:00 AM at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The Tigers will be the designated visiting team and occupy the first-base dugout. The Tigers will still reach the ACC title game if and only if Georgia Tech defeats Florida State on Friday and the Tigers beat the Wolfpack on Saturday.