Wake Forest University
6-9, 2-7
Florida State
12-6, 8-5
Wake Forest Drops Series Opener to No. 17 Florida State, 2-1
3/26/2021 10:26:00 PM | Baseball
Game two is scheduled for a 2:00 p.m. start in Tallahassee on Saturday.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Wake Forest baseball team dropped an ACC series opener against No. 17 Florida State by a final score of 2-1 on Friday night at Dick Howser Stadium.
Wake Forest (6-9, 2-7 ACC) held an early 1-0 lead in the third inning over the nationally-ranked Seminoles (12-6, 8-5 ACC) after a RBI single from Michael Turconi brought home Lucas Costello (double). Wake Forest's third hit of the night came from Adam Cecere, who tripled to center field to begin the fifth.
The Deacs held that advantage through the sixth inning thanks to five scoreless frames from Ryan Cusick and a scoreless sixth from Brennen Oxford, highlighted by the left-handed pitchers' consecutive strikeouts.
Florida State ultimately scored the winning pair of runs in the seventh to secure them the 2-1 victory.
Cusick, in his fourth start of the season, struck out a season-high tying 12 batters while allowing a pair of hits and walking five batters. The 12 K's marked the third-straight double-digit strikeout game for the Sudbury, Mass. native, as well as the sixth time in his last eight starts to reach double-digit K's
Oxford and Hunter Furtado each fanned a pair of batters to bring Wake Forest's total to 14 strikeouts on the night. Cole McNamee was the fourth and final arm to hit the mound, pitching a perfect eighth inning.
How It Happened
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Chris Lanzilli was Wake Forest's first baserunner, walking with two outs in the opening frame of the contest. The Seminoles ended the inning the next batter with the second strikeout of the inning.
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Ryan Cusick made quick work of the Seminoles in his fourth start of the season, striking out the side to keep it a scoreless game after one.
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Wake Forest once again was walked with two outs as Cole McNamee hit the basepaths in the top of the second. Florida State ended the inning with a strikeout.
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Cusick fanned three more Seminoles in the second inning to increase his total to six on the day and keep the score tied at 0.
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The Deacs struck first (1-0) as Michael Turconi's one-out single up the middle scored Lucas Costello, who opened the third inning with a double to right field. Chris Lanzilli advanced to second base after a wild pitch and fielder's choice before Florida State ended the inning with a fly-out in foul territory.
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Cusick continued to deal, striking out another batter to increase his total to seven and preserve the Deacs' 1-0 lead after three innings.
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The Seminoles put runners on the corners with their first hit in the game with two outs after a home-plate umpire change (injury).
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The sophomore struck out seven of the first 12 Seminoles he faced.
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After nothing was doing for Wake Forest's bats in the top half of the fourth, Cusick fanned a trio of batters to increase his total to 10 for the game.
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The Seminoles loaded the bases with two outs thanks to a double and a pair of walks.
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Cusick's 10th strikeout marked the second-straight start he fanned at least 10 batters, including six of the last eight starts dating back to 2020.
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Adam Cecere smashed a triple to deep center field to begin the top of the fifth. Nothing was doing for Wake Forest as the next three Deacs were retired.
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After opening the fifth with a walk, Cusick fanned a Florida State batter and Shane Muntz threw out a runner trying to steal second for the opening two outs. The Seminoles added another baserunner due to an error, but Cusick responded with his 12th K of the night to end the inning.
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Brennen Oxford replaced Cusick in the bottom of the sixth. The lefty forced a ground out to the first batter he faced, then proceeded to strike out consecutive Seminoles after allowing a single to leave the sixth unscathed.
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Shane Muntz reached base after drawing a walk to open the seventh. The inning ended as the next three Deacs were sat down in order.
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Florida State took a 2-1 lead into the eighth inning after plating two runs in the bottom of the seventh behind two hits and two walks.
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Cole McNamee kept it a 2-1 game after retiring the Seminoles in order (two fly outs and a ground out) in the eighth inning.
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With one out in the ninth, Brock Wilken reached base as the tying run after a fielding error by the Seminoles. Florida State retired the next pair of Deacs to earn the 2-1 victory.
Words from Walter
"Obviously a disappointing loss. Ryan Cusick found a way to give us five shutout innings and (Brennen) Oxford gave us a good sixth, but again we didn't do enough offensively to win that game.
We knew going in Parker Messick was going to be tough. But we had some opportunities. We had a man on third base with nobody out (in the fifth inning). If we can punch across a run there and make it a two-run game, that kind of changes everything there in the seventh inning."
On Deck
The Deacs and Seminoles continue their three-game series on Saturday with a 2:00 p.m. first pitch from Dick Howser Stadium on ACC Network Extra.
The finale between the teams is slated for Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Chase Haney (3-0)
L: Furtado, Hunter (0-2)
S: Davis Hare (2)
Batting:
2B: Costello, Lucas 1
3B: Cecere, Adam 1
RBI: Turconi, Michael 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Costello, Lucas 1
Batting:
2B: Wyatt Crowell 1
RBI: Elijah Cabell 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Tyler Martin 1 ; Matheu Nelson 1
CS: Tyler Martin 1
