Noles Drop Heartbreaker at NC State, 9-8

Florida State couldn’t hold leads of four runs early and three runs late in a heartbreaking 9-8 loss at NC State on Saturday night.

Tyler McDonough played the role of hero for the Wolfpack (19-0), chopping a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth. NC State trailed 8-5 entering the eighth before Brad Debo evened things with a 3-run blast.

FSU (13-4) raced to a 4-0 lead before the Wolfpack answered with a 5-run third. Mike Salvatore hit for the cycle on Saturday night and was responsible for evening the game in the fourth.

After Nander De Sedas put FSU ahead with an RBI single in the fifth, Salvatore completed the cycle with a 2-run home run in the eighth. It was the first cycle for FSU since Tyler Holt completed the feat in 2010.

J.C. Flowers was on the mound when the game ended, but Conor Grady was tagged with the loss. Dalton Feeney picked up the win for NC State.

Salvatore finished with four RBIs and three runs in the loss. Drew Mendoza homered in the loss and drove in a pair of runs. Matheu Nelson scored twice.

FSU outhit NC State 11-7, but committed three errors to aid the Wolfpack cause. McDonough had three of those hits. He and Evan Edwards each scored twice. In addition to Debo’s 3-run blast, David Vasquez hit a 2-run bomb. McDonough and Terrell Tatum also each plated two runs.

FSU will try to avoid the sweep and end its 3-game skid when the teams wrap up the series on Sunday.

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