Florida State sophomore outfielder Jackson Lueck was the hero for the Seminoles on Wednesday. Lueck hit a pair of 2-run home runs, including a walk-off shot in the 12th inning as eighth-seeded FSU downed 12th-seeded Notre Dame, 5-3, to open the ACC Tournament in Louisville.
Lueck’s blast was made possible after Dylan Busby delivered a 2-out single the at-bat before. FSU will play top-seeded Louisville on Friday with the winner to advance to the ACC semifinals.
The Good: Both starting pitchers were solid on Wednesday. Freshman Drew Parrish allowed just a run on four hits in six innings while walking just one. For Notre Dame, Brad Bass threw four scoreless innings. Fielding was also good for both teams as neither committed an error. Steven Wells, Jr.’s throw at the plate to end the top of the 11th preserved the tie at the time and proved to be a huge play.
The Bad: The FSU bullpen unfortunately was unable to hold a 3-1 lead in the eighth inning. Jim Voyles allowed two runs without retiring a batter while Drew Carlton, the FSU closer, was unable to strand an inherited runner.
The Ugly: The weather for Wednesday’s game was absolutely miserable. What was supposed to be an 11 a.m. EST start time was pushed back by three hours, only to have another 40-minute delay come in the top of the eighth.
Studs of the Game: Lueck and Parrish certainly take the honors for FSU, but Busby was 2-for-5 with two runs scored and the Seminoles’ other RBI. For Notre Dame, Nick Podkul was 4-for-5 with a pair of homers. Eric Gilgenbach was 3-for-5 at the plate with a pair of doubles.
Duds of the Game: Notre Dame’s Bryce Gray was 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts while on the mound, Brandon Bielak yielded three runs in 2 2/3 innings. For FSU, Taylor Walls and J.C. Flowers were a combined 0-for-11 with five strikeouts. Voyles gave up two runs without recording an out.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson
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