Florida State Finishes Off USF 5-2

On a rainy Tuesday afternoon in Dick Howser Stadium, the Florida State Seminoles used a late surge to defeat the South Florida Bulls, 5-2.

The game was tied 1-1 for the longest time before a 4-run eighth inning sparked the Seminoles. Steven Wells put FSU ahead for good with an RBI double down the line to score Nick Derr.

The Good: Florida State’s eighth inning broke the 1-1 stalemate and proved too much for USF to battle back from. After falling asleep for six innings, the Seminoles roared back to the tune of four runs in quick succession. Part of it was due to a bad USF error, but it started out when Steven Wells Jr. had a fantastic rip down the third base line that brought home the second FSU run. It was not exactly the part of the lineup you would expect to come through in a crucial moment.

The Bad: Playing conditions made the game almost unwatchable for fans in the stadium. The rain came around the third inning and decided to stick around for over an hour, forcing fans into the covered sections and forcing the players to try and deal with the messy field. Add in the fact that it was a Tuesday afternoon game and it seemed like both teams were just trying to wrap it all up by the ninth inning.

The Ugly: Anyone who held a bat Tuesday found themselves contributing to this section. The eighth inning notwithstanding, Tuesday’s match-up saw a very frustrating night from the plate for both squads. The Bulls actually finished with a slightly higher batting average (.212) compared to Florida State’s .172 mark. A combined 22 runners left on base punctuated the offensive mire on the night.

Studs of the Game: FSU starter Andrew Karp actually did not belong in this section after his first couple of innings. The Bulls were connecting with a lot of his pitches and threatening on the bases. However, he found his groove sometime in the third inning, giving up just one hit in the rest of his time on the mound. He finished with six strikeouts and no earned runs.

Duds of the Game: Kevin King was the pitcher for USF during the disastrous eighth inning. He gave up three earned runs after loading the bases and committing a bad error on a throw to first base.

Extra Innings: Obviously the rain coming to Dick Howser this early in the season did not make for a good contest. Still, the soft pitter-patter against the roof, the complete lack of excitement, and the heavy load of carbs with ballpark food made napping a near impossibility to stave off in the press box.