FSU baseball plays better, but still falls at UM; softball wins series vs. Jackets
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CORAL GABLES, Florida – Sophomore pitcher Conner Whittaker made his first career start Saturday, pitching five innings with five strikeouts in Florida State’s 3-2 loss at No. 23 Miami.
Whittaker became the ninth different Seminole pitcher to start a game this season, and the seventh of those to make his first career start.
The sophomore from Sarasota allowed a two-run double in the second inning to get the Hurricanes on the board. Relief pitcher Andrew Armstrong pitched a career-high 3.0 innings, allowing a solo home run to start the seventh inning.
Florida State had five hits, two coming in the eighth inning when Titan Kamaka doubled and scored on Colton Vincent’s two-out single. Vincent had two of FSU’s hits; Kamaka was the first Seminole to reach third base this weekend, and Jaime Ferrer’s second-inning single extended his hitting streak to 17 games, the third-longest for any Seminole over the past 10 seasons.
James Tibbs III cut the deficit to 3-2 with a two-out home run in the ninth inning, his team-high ninth of the season and 19th of his career.
UP NEXT:
The series finale between the Seminoles and Hurricanes is Sunday at 2 p.m. The game will air nationally on ESPNU.
OF NOTE:
Jaime Ferrer singled in his first at-bat to extend his hitting streak to a career-long 17 games. It is tied for the third-longest for a Nole over the past 10 seasons:
19, DJ Stewart – March 5, 2014 to April 13, 2014
18, DJ Stewart – May 7, 2013 to February 14, 2014
17, Jaime Ferrer – March 4, 2023 to present
17, Colton Vincent – May 25, 2022 to March 10, 2023
17, Cal Raleigh – March 5, 2018 to June 2, 2018
During his hitting streak, Ferrer is 28-for-71 (.394) with 11 runs, 14 RBI, six doubles, two home runs and four walks.
Leftfielder Jordan Taylor made his second career start, and first in left field. Starting pitcher Conner Whittaker made his first career start, in his 31st appearance. Whittaker is the ninth Seminole to start on the mound this year, and the seventh to make his first career start.
James Tibbs III hit his team-high ninth home run of the season, and 19th of his career. He also drew FSU’s only walk in the contest, his team-high 26th of the year.
Freshman Titan Kamaka doubled in the eighth inning, his third of the year. He is tied with Cam Smith and Ben Barrett for the most doubles among FSU freshmen.
Colton Vincent singled twice, his second scoring Kamaka and getting FSU on the board. It was his eighth multi-hit game of the season.
Andrew Armstrong pitched a career-high 3.0 innings. Armstrong and Whittaker combined to walk just one batter, FSU’s fewest this season.
Michaela Edenfield's six-RBI day helped the No. 7 Florida State softball team (28-7, 7-1) to an 8-0 run-rule victory over Georgia Tech (17-17, 2-9) on Saturday afternoon at JoAnne Graf Field. The Noles clinched its third ACC series of the season and have now won 25 straight games against the Yellow Jackets.
After a scoreless first inning, Jahni Kerr walked, and Katie Dack singled to put runners on first and second for Edenfield with two outs. Edenfield hit one through left side for her first RBI of the day to give the Noles a 1-0 lead.
Ali DuBois got the start for the Noles in the circle and was terrific holding the Yellow Jackets to just one hit through four innings to maintain the Noles' 1-0 lead. Kerr led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a single followed by a double from Mack Leonard. Dack drew a walk to load the bases for Edenfield. Edenfield waited on a pitch and drove it deep over the left field wall for her second grand slam of the season and her sixth home run of the season to give the Noles a 5-0 lead.
After Allison Royalty put up a zero in the top of the fifth inning, Leonard led off the bottom of the fifth with a single. Amaya Ross pinch ran for Leonard and advanced to second on a wild pitch, and Autumn Belviy moved her to third on a groundout.
Edenfield stepped in and singled through the right side to pick up her sixth RBI of the day to give the Noles the 7-0 lead. Kaley Mudge singled up the middle to bring another run home to end the game early for the Noles due to the run rule.
Edenfield's six RBIs were a career high, and she became the first Nole to record six RBIs in a game since Cassidy Davis did it against Troy on Mar. 21, 2018.
DuBois was credited with her third win of the season to improve to 3-2 on the year. DuBois pitched four complete innings and allowed just one hit while striking out two. In her last four appearances, DuBois has not allowed a run in 8.2 innings pitched.
The Noles will look for the sweep against the Yellow Jackets at 2 p.m. Sunday on the ACC Network.
FRIDAY
CORAL GABLES, Florida – Florida State fell at No. 23 Miami Friday, 11-0, dropping to 12-13 overall and 3-7 in the ACC.
Five of Miami’s runs were unearned.
FSU (12-13 overall, 3-7 ACC) has lost seven consecutive games and 10 of its last 11.
The Seminoles have surrendered 38 runs in their last three defeats.
UM improved to 17-9 overall, 6-4 in the ACC.
Jaime Ferrer extended his hitting streak to a career-long 16 games with a single in the seventh. FSU’s three Jordan’s – Carrion, Taylor and Williams – had FSU’s other three hits, and the Noles were shutout for the first time this season.
Jackson Baumeister allowed just two earned runs in 4.0 innings. Brennen Oxford, Brandon Walker and Brett Barfield combined to complete the final four innings.
UP NEXT:
Game two between the Seminoles and Hurricanes is Saturday at 2 p.m. on ACCNX.
OF NOTE:
Jaime Ferrer extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a seventh-inning single. It is tied for the sixth-longest for a Nole over the past 10 seasons:
19, DJ Stewart – March 5, 2014 to April 13, 2014
18, DJ Stewart – May 7, 2013 to February 14, 2014
17, Colton Vincent – May 25, 2022 to March 10, 2023
17, Cal Raleigh – March 5, 2018 to June 2, 2018
16, Jaime Ferrer – March 4, 2023 to present
16, Drew Mendoza – March 2, 2018 to March 23, 2018
16, Taylor Walls – March 9, 2016 to April 9, 2016
During his hitting streak, Ferrer is 27-for-67 (.403) with 11 runs, 14 RBI, six doubles, two home runs and four walks.
Cam Smith walked in the first inning, his 10th of the season. He is second on the team in walks and has reached safely in six consecutive games.
Brandon Walker pitched 2.0 innings, a new career high. He did not allow an earned run.
Jordan Taylor doubled in the eighth inning, his first career extra-base hit. He entered in place of DeAmez Ross in center field in the bottom of the seventh.
FSU softball update
In front of 1,777 fans, the seventh-ranked Florida State softball team (27-7, 6-1) used some clutch hitting to fight past Georgia Tech (17-16, 2-8) by a score of 6-4 at JoAnne Graf Field on Friday night. Friday's crowd was the fifth largest in Seminole Softball Complex history and the largest crowd to witness an ACC game at JoAnne Graf Field.
After a scoreless first inning, Jahni Kerr took the first pitch she saw over the right field fence for her seventh home run of the season to give the Noles a 1-0 lead. Just two batters later, Mack Leonard took one opposite field that just got over the left field fence to give the Noles a 2-0 lead after two innings.
Neither team threatened in the third inning or the fourth inning, but Georgia Tech had a huge fifth inning where they plated four runs off an error and a three-run home run to take the 4-2 lead.
The Yellow Jackets didn't hold the lead for long as Devyn Flaherty singled to get on base, and Kalei Harding hit a no-doubter home run to tie the game. The Yellow Jackets threatened again in the top of the sixth and had runners on second third with just one out, but Makenna Reid got a lineout and a groundout to end the inning.
Michaela Edenfield led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a walk, but the next two batters were retired. The Noles then went on a two-out rally with a Josie Muffly single, and Kaley Mudge hit one off the left field wall to score both Edenfield and Muffley to give the Noles the 6-4 lead heading into the final inning.
Reid surrendered a leadoff walk, but she responded with three-straight strikeouts to end the game. Reid was credited with the win and improved to a perfect 7-0 on the year.
The two teams will meet again Saturday at 11 a.m. The game was originally scheduled for 1 p.m. but was moved up due to expected weather.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU baseball drops 8th straight game, softball wins series vs. Jackets
