Peter Holland Jr.Tallahassee Democrat
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No. 8 national seed Florida State baseball twice was one strike away in the last inning from upsetting No. 1 Tennessee Friday night in the College World Series.
Instead, the stunned Seminoles (47-16) must have a short-term memory if they want to continue their quest for the program's first national championship.
Dylan Dreiling's game-winning single into the left-center gap in the bottom of the ninth capped a four-run rally as Tennessee beat FSU 12-11 at Charles Schwab Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska.
The Seminoles will meet fellow ACC member Virginia (46-16) in an elimination game Sunday at 2 p.m., while the Volunteers (56-12) will play North Carolina (48-14) in a winners' bracket game at 7 p.m.
"It's tough. That was a tough walk-off and walk in that locker room. Tough," FSU coach Link Jarrett said.
"These guys have responded all year, and they’ll respond. I'm proud that you got to see flashes of what this team can do and is about. But ultimately that pendulum swung the other way in a hurry in the ninth inning."
FSU was relentless as it rallied from an early 4-1 deficit, scoring six runs in the top of the third inning to overtake the Vols. The Seminoles built leads of 9-4 and 11-7 but it wasn't enough to hold off Tennessee.
The teams combined for 31 hits and five errors in the game. Designated hitter Marco Dinges led FSU with three hits, while leadoff hitter Max Williams and shortstop Alex Lodise each had a pair. Jaime Ferrer hit a two-run double in FSU's third inning and added a two-run home run in the fourth to finish with four RBI.
All nine Seminole starters reached base, with eight scoring a run and eight earning a hit.
UT's Christian Moore hit for the cycle (single, double, triple and home run) and finished 5-for-6. He was the first player to hit for the cycle in the CWS since Minnesota's Jerry Kindall did it against Mississippi in 1956.
"We gave them opportunities throughout the course of the game," Jarrett said
"This wasn't just the end of the game. They had chances. We were not as clean as we needed to be. They would probably tell you the same thing. ... And, again, there's moments in this game where you reflect on the ninth inning and it's tough. And there's 27 players in there that are hurting. We need to learn some of the things that happened early. Maybe it shouldn't have ever gotten to that. But it did and we have to live with these things."
Was it, or was it not a strike?
The ninth inning featured a controversial call and everyone wanted to know. Did Blake Burke swing?
With FSU protecting an 11-9 lead and runners on second and third with two outs, FSU left-handed reliever Brennan Oxford got the left-hand Burke to offer on a two-strike pitch.
However, third base umpire Shawn Rakos signaled Burke had checked his swing on a pitch with two strikes to move the count to 3-and-2. Had the call gone the other way, FSU would have won the game. Given new life, Burke singled up the middle to tie the game at 11.
“It was a check swing and I didn’t go," Burke told the media after the game. "I kept battling after that and that was the result.”
Jarrett, who stepped from the dugout and displayed his displeasure with the call, didn't directly address it following the game with the media.
"You guys saw the game," Jarrett said.
"I need to watch every pitch of this game again. There's factors in this that affect the outcome of the game and I can't tell from 90 feet away on the side what was going on with some of the things that occurred. Every pitch matters in these games and you saw the result of this."
After Burke moved to second on Billy Amick's single, Dreilng won the game with his hit into the gap off Connor Hults, the Seminoles' third pitcher in the inning.
FSU baseball was strong at bat, but so was Tennessee
Both teams showed why they are ranked high on offense nationally. UT finished with 18 hits, FSU 13.
"As hitters, we've got to keep the same approach," Dinges said.
"We had good ABs throughout the game, the whole lineup. Just have to come back on Sunday and ready to go -- same ABs, same approaches. And take the win, though."
Nate Snead (10-2), the sixth Tennessee pitcher, got the win after holding the Seminoles scoreless on one hit over the last 2⅓ innings.
FSU starter Jamie Arnold threw five innings, surrendering six runs (four earned). Junior right-hander Conner Whittaker pitched three strong innings of relief. But he was pulled with one out in the ninth after giving up a triple and a sacrifice fly. Oxford and Hults also threw in the ninth.
"It wasn't crisp enough on the mound all the time," Jarrett said.
"I thought Whittaker pitched great. I thought Jaime battled. But they delivered the result. ... I'm proud that you got to see flashes of what this team can do and is about. But ultimately that pendulum swung the other way in a hurry in the ninth inning.
"We did not pitch with two strikes well enough," Jarrett said. "We had chances to finish some hitters off, and the resulting contact was better than you would hope for in those counts."
Jarrett also praised Moore, whose two-out double with two strikes in the ninth set up the game-winning dramatics by the Vols.
" He's a talented player," Jarrett said. "And unfortunately, we just could not answer and get out of some of the things."
What's next for FSU baseball
FSU must have a short-term memory.
To remain in the CWS, FSU must beat Virginia in the elimination bracket Sunday. UVA also lost in a walk-off fashion to North Carolina in the early game.
It will be the second time the two ACC teams will meet in the postseason. The Seminoles beat the Cavaliers in the ACC tournament, which advanced them to the semifinals on May 24.
Carson Dorsey will start for FSU.
When asked about the team's response this season, Ferrer said:
"The determination that we know we're never out of a ball game. You have to get all 27 outs and you gotta fight until the last pitch of the game. So kind of staying with that, knowing that, that our offense keeps us in every single ball game is a good feeling. And it's the leadership that we have and the grit and the love we have for each other; we can't give up on each other.
"We gotta keep pushing. At the end it's a team ball game. You have to play for the guy next to you. That's how you win ball games and stack good at-bats together."
How can I watch FSU baseball vs. Virginia Sunday?
- TV:ESPN (Channel 206 on DirecTV, Channel 140 on Dish)
- Streaming:ESPN+ ($10.99 per month), WatchESPN and the ESPN app (TV provider subscription needed), fuboTV (7-day free trial), YouTube TV (2-week free trial), Hulu + Live TV (7-day free trial)
How can I listen to FSU baseball on the radio?
- Radio:WFLAFM 100.7
- Streaming:Seminole Sports Network
FSU baseball ticketsfor NCAA College World Series
Tickets for the College World Series can be purchased on theCWSOmaha.com
Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol
