FSU Downs Virginia in Series Opener, 6-4

A 2-run sixth inning was the difference on Friday night at Dick Howser Stadium as Florida State took the first game of a 3-game series from Virginia, 6-4.

Drew Mendoza’s 2-run home run in the sixth inning broke a 4-4 tie as the Seminoles picked up their fifth win in six games and got back over .500 in ACC play. Chase Haney picked up the win while Drew Cartlon got the final four outs for his fourth save of the year for FSU.

The Good: Florida State seemed to maximize scoring opportunities on Friday night, leaving just four men on base. The Seminoles homered three times. FSU also got a stellar night from its bullpen, which allowed just three hits in 4 2/3 shutout innings.

The Bad: Cole Sands wasn’t particularly bad on Friday night, but his evening was probably shortened by control issues. Of Sands’ 73 pitches, only 41 were strikes, which is uncharacteristic. Sands walked three and had a wild pitch.

The Ugly: Florida State continued to give away runs with shoddy defense. Taylor Walls’ ninth error of the season in the fourth inning allowed Virginia to take a 3-2 lead.

Studs of the Game: Drew Mendoza reached base in each plate appearance for FSU and was 2-for-2 for the night with the game-winning blast. Dylan Busby and Jackson Lueck had back-to-back home runs in the first inning. Busby drove in a pair of runs. For Virginia, Nate Eikhoff was 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Duds of the Game: Virginia second baseman Andy Weber was 0-for-5 on Friday night. For FSU, Nick Derr was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson