Florida State scored the game’s final six runs in the ACC Championship on Sunday to down Louisville and win a third ACC title in four years and a second straight. The Seminoles needed 10 innings to top the Cardinals in Durham, 11-8.
FSU raced to a 5-1 lead before No. 5 seed Louisville stormed back with seven straight runs. Drew Mendoza’s 2-run double in the 10th inning put the sixth-seeded Seminoles ahead for good. The ACC Tournament championship is the eighth for FSU.
The Good: Florida State’s offense had its best showing of the ACC Tournament on Sunday with 11 runs. The FSU bullpen of Clayton Kwiatkowski and Jonah Scolaro was also outstanding, allowing just one run in seven innings of work.
The Bad: Neither starting pitcher made it past the fourth inning on Sunday. FSU’s Andrew Karp worked just three innings while Louisville’s Bobby Miller lasted just 2 1/3 innings.
The Ugly: As much as one would have to give Florida State credit, Louisville didn’t help itself out much. The Cardinals committed three errors in the field, leading to three unearned runs for the Seminoles. Cardinal pitchers also issued 10 walks and hit three FSU hitters.
Studs of the Game: Both Kwiatkowski and Scolaro deserve credit for FSU for their performances out of the bullpen. Drew Mendoza was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored. Mike Salvatore, Rhett Aplin and Rafael Bournigal all had two hits, combining for three runs scored and three RBIs for the Seminoles. For Louisville, Devin Mann was 3-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBIs. Josh Stowers and Zach Britton each homered for the Cardinals. Danny Oriente and Logan Wyatt each had two hits, a run and an RBI for the Cardinals in the loss.
Duds of the Game: FSU starting pitcher and usually dependable Andrew Karp did not have his best stuff in three innings on Sunday, allowing seven runs on six hits, including three home runs and two walks. For Louisville, Bobby Miller allowed five runs and three earned in his 2 1/3 innings of relief. Tyler Fitzgerald and Justin Lavey were each 0-for-4 at the plate for the Cardinals. J.C. Flowers was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts for the Seminoles.
Extra Innings: Florida State likely sealed a top-8 national seed with its win on Sunday. That would mean that FSU wouldn’t have to leave Tallahassee until the College World Series.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson
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