It took 11 innings on Saturday for Duke to clinch a series win over Florida State at Dick Howser Stadium, 6-5. The Seminoles have now lost five straight and have fallen back below .500 in ACC play at 8-9.
The Blue Devils went ahead for good on a solo home run by Kennie Taylor in the 11th inning. Duke will go for the sweep on Sunday.
The Good: Florida State learned its lesson from last night and cleaned up its defense. The Seminoles committed no errors and maintained a perfect fielding percentage, which included diving catches by Reese Albert and Jackson Lueck in center field and left field, respectively. Duke was its usual self with four double plays in addition to no errors and 1.000 fielding percentage.
The Bad: Sporadic hitting gave the contest a stop-and-start feel. Each team would go extended stretches without offensive production, only to hit home runs or get successive walks and eventually score. Florida State certainly benefited from pitching mistakes as the Seminoles scored two runs on wild pitches, which was pretty important considering they had just five hits.
The Ugly: The bottom of the seventh inning was atrocious for fans, media, and especially Duke. The Blue Devils made three pitching changes after their first three pitchers couldn’t find the strike zone. It completely halted the game and guaranteed that fans would leave early to watch football. Worse yet: it didn’t work. Two wild pitches and three walks gave Florida State the lead heading into the eighth. Unfortunately for FSU, the bullpen couldn’t hold that lead. Jonah Scolaro blew the save by giving up a run in the ninth and Conor Grady took the loss.
Studs of the Game: Jimmy Herron smacked a home run and had two hits for Duke. Max Miller makes a repeat appearances in the stud category after two hits, one home run, and three RBIs. Kennie Miller had two hits and scored two runs, including the game-winner with his solo shot. Steven Wells and Jackson Lueck each hit home runs for the Seminoles, combining for three RBIs. Wells scored a pair of runs.
Duds of the Game: Matt Mervis came in to pitch for Duke in the bottom of the seventh inning, but only lasted eight pitches. A wild pitch brought home a tying run and he walked the next batter. His replacement Bryce Jarvis then did the exact same thing, allowing another run on a wild pitch and giving up another walk. Cal Raleigh was 0-for-5 for FSU at the dish.
Extra Innings: It’s (not surprisingly) pretty difficult to keep up with the football commitments while covering baseball. What did they ever do in the days before laptops?
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