Box Score

FSU 9, VT 4

 

BLACKSBURG, Va. - Third-ranked Florida State backed up a strong pitching performance by Matt Fairel with 16 hits to hand Virginia Tech a 9-4 loss Friday in game one of a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference baseball series at English Field.

Fairel registered his fifth win without a loss as the Seminoles improved their overall record to 17-2 and remained unbeaten in ACC play at 7-0. The FSU left-hander scattered seven hits over seven innings of work. He struck out five batters and walked two, while allowing three runs, one of which was unearned.

FSU, which did most of its damage in a seven-run second inning, out-hit Tech 16-9, with right fielder Jack Rye leading the way. Rye went 4-for-5 with a home run and three singles. He drove in three runs. The Hokies, who now stand 7-13 overall and 0-7 in conference play, got doubles from second baseman Matt Hacker (Richmond, Va.), first baseman Sean O'Brien (Chappaqua, N.Y.) and third baseman Ty Hohman (Tomball, Texas). Hohman, who started the game at shortstop, was the only Tech player with two hits.

A pair of Tech throwing errors helped the Seminoles plate a run in the first inning. FSU leadoff man Tyler Holt singled to open the game. Tech starting pitcher Josh Wymer's two-base error on a pickoff attempt allowed Holt to advance to third base. Tony Delmonico drew a two-out walk and stole second base. An errant throw to second on the steal let Holt trot home with the game's first run.

Florida State didn't need help scoring in the second inning. A leadoff homer by Rye opened a seven-run inning that was fueled by nine Seminole hits and one Hokie error. Rye also capped the scoring in the inning with a with a two-run single. In between, the Seminoles got a two-run single from second baseman Jason Stidham, a run-scoring single from catcher Buster Posey and an RBI-double off the bat of first baseman Dennis Guinn.

Tech got on the board in the third when Hacker doubled down the right field line, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Sean Ryan (Ashburn, Va.) and continued home when the third baseman's throw attempting to retire Ryan sailed over the first baseman's head.

Stidham's fifth home run of the season, leading off the sixth inning, pushed the FSU lead to 9-1, before Tech plated a pair of runs in the seventh. Hokie third baseman Michael Seaborn (Atlanta, Ga.) singled with one out in the inning and came around to score on a two-out double off the left field wall by O'Brien. O'Brien then scored when Ryan laced a single by the shortstop.

Hohman and freshman Tony Balisteri (Lexington, Va.) teamed up for the final run of the game in the ninth. Hohman opened the inning with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch by FSU reliever Mike McGee and scored on a single by Balisteri, who entered the game at short in the eighth inning.

Wymer (Fort Worth, Texas) pitched 5.1 innings for the Hokies and dropped to 2-3 on the season with the loss. He gave up nine runs on 14 hits, but only four of the runs were earned. Sophomore Kyle Cichy (Vineland, N.J.) came on in relief to pitch 3.2 scoreless innings for Tech.

The two teams are scheduled to play game two of the series on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.