Wake Forest University
8-9, 4-7
Florida State
12-8, 8-7
Offensive Eruption Helps Wake Forest Clinch Series at No. 17 Florida State
3/28/2021 6:14:00 PM | Baseball
The Deacs scored a season-high 12 runs on Sunday to claim their first ACC series of the season.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Wake Forest outlasted No. 17 Florida State in another high-scoring contest by a final tally of 12-10 on Sunday to clinch their first ACC series win of the 2021 season.
The Deacs (8-9, 4-7 ACC) claimed the rubber match against the nationally-ranked Seminoles (12-8, 8-7 ACC) thanks to their best offensive performance of the season, posting a season-high in runs. Additionally, their 13 hits tied for their second-highest mark of the season and hit three home runs for just the second time in 2021.
After Florida State got out to an early 2-0 lead, Wake Forest responded in the top of the second with its first of two four-run innings, highlighted by back-to-back home runs from Bobby Seymour (two-run shot) and Chris Lanzilli (solo). Seymour came back and launched a three-run blast in the fourth, his second HR of the game, as Wake Forest extended its lead to 8-2.
The teams exchanged blows over the fourth, fifth and sixth innings as they combined for 14 runs, ultimately heading into the final three frames tied at 10.
Wake Forest plated the winning runs in the eighth inning after a wild pitch and a fielding error by Florida State. Riding the arms of Hunter Furtado, Camden Minacci and Eric Adler, the Deacs shut out the Seminoles' bats for the remainder of the game to seal their second-straight win.
In addition to his home runs, Seymour led the Deacs at the plate with three total hits and five RBIs. Lucas Costello, Michael Ludowig and Lanzilli posted multi-hit performances for the second-straight game. Pierce Bennett also joined the club, knocking in a career-high tying two RBI singles in clutch situations on Sunday.
Hunter Furtado earned his first collegiate win, pitching 1.0 relief innings. In his fourth career start, Rhett Lowder fanned five batters across five innings while Adler posted his fourth save of the season with a pair of strikeouts in the bottom of the ninth.
How It Happened
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After the Deacs were sat down in order to begin the game at the plate, Florida State jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. The Seminoles knocked a solo shot to center field and scored an unearned run on a throwing error following a double. Rhett Lowder retired two straight batters to end the innings after the Seminoles loaded the bases with a single.
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Wake Forest quickly responded with four runs on six hits to take a 4-2 advantage heading into the bottom of the second.
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The big inning started with back-to-back home runs from Bobby Seymour (two-run shot) and Chris Lanzilli (solo). Seymour's second HR of the season scored Brock Wilken, who tallied a leadoff single.
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Wake Forest added the fourth run thanks to three consecutive singles from Michael Ludowig, Lucas Costello and Pierce Bennett, who sprinkled a hit to left field to score Ludowig from second.
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Lowder pitched a scoreless frame in the second, striking out the leadoff batter (second of game) and inducing a fly ball to left field. The freshman got out of the inning with a fly out after walking a Seminole and a fielding error.
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The Deacs loaded the bases in the third thanks to back-to-back singles from Seymour and Lanzilli and a walk from Shane Muntz, but nothing was doing after the Seminoles turned a 1-2-3 double play.
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After a wild pitch advanced a Seminole to second base with one out, Lowder responded with his third strikeout of the day and his second fly out to end the inning.
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The Deacs tacked on four runs in the fourth to increase their lead to 8-2. Bobby Seymour hit a three-run moonshot, his second homer of the day, after Florida State intentionally walked Wilken. Prior to the home run, Bennett knocked in his second RBI single of the game to score Ludowig.
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Florida State responded with three consecutive solo home runs in the fourth, chipping into Wake Forest's lead (8-5).
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Wake Forest increased its advantage to 10-5 in the fifth after Shane Muntz (leadoff single) scored on a wild pitch and Lucas Costello singled to third base to bring home James Broderick (walk).
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Lowder continued to battle the Seminoles' batters in the bottom half of the fifth, his third scoreless frame. After allowing a leadoff single, Lowder responded with his fifth strikeout of the contest. After a fielder's choice, he forced a pop up in foul territory to Muntz for the third and final out of the inning.
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Seymour and Lanzilli registered back-to-back walks with one out in the sixth, but the Deacs were held scoreless as Wake Forest maintained their 10-5 advantage.
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The Seminoles tied the game at 10 with five runs in the sixth, featuring a three-run homer. Florida State plated the other two runs after a RBI single and a wild pitch with a runner on third.
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Wake Forest went down in order at the plate in the seventh. Hunter Furtado replaced Cole McNamee on the mound and pitched a scoreless frame, highlighted by a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
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The Deacs broke the tie in the top of the eighth, plating a pair of runs after a fielding error and wild pitch by Florida State to take a 12-10 lead.
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Bennett was hit by a pitch to begin the inning and made it all the way home via two wild pitches and a fielding error by Florida State's shortstop. Wilken reached base after being walked with one out and scored from third on the third wild pitch of the inning.
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Camden Minacci was called to the mound in the eighth with one out and no one out. The freshman induced a line out to the first batter he faced. After walking a Seminole, Minacci forced two straight ground outs to preserve Wake Forest's lead.
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The Deacs were retired in order in the top of the ninth.
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Eric Adler made his second-straight appearance in the bottom of the ninth inning for the Deacs and slammed the door for his fourth save of the season as Wake Forest claimed the series-deciding game by a score of 12-10.
In The Spotlight
Bobby Seymour came up huge for the Wake Forest bats on Sunday, blasting two home runs in a game for the second time of his four-year career (April 6, 2019). Seymour matched his previous season-high of three hits, while posting five RBIs, the most for the first baseman since he tallied five against Davidson on April 28, 2019.
On Sunday, Seymour made his 130th consecutive start in the Old Gold and Black.
After Seymour's first homer in the second inning, Chris Lanzilli also went yard, marking the first time Wake Forest teammates posted back-to-back home runs since Shane Muntz and Michael Ludowig did so against Miami on May 13, 2019.
Words from Walter
"Obviously a huge series win. Anytime you can win two out of three on the road in this league, that's huge. Big day for Bobby Seymour today. After Florida State got a big strikeout with one out in a first-and-third situation, Bobby comes up and hits the three-run home run to give us some distance. We needed it.
Cam Minacci and Eric Adler were fantastic. Great team win. We grinded it out. It was a gritty win and I'm just really proud of our guys."
On Deck
Wake Forest returns home for a non-conference matchup with Appalachian State on Tuesday, March 30 inside David F. Couch Ballpark before heading back on the road for a three-game series at Louisville next weekend.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Furtado, Hunter (1-2)
L: Wyatt Crowell (0-1)
S: Adler, Eric (4)
Batting:
HR: Seymour, Bobby 2 ; Lanzilli, Chris 1
RBI: Costello, Lucas 1 ; Bennett, Pierce 2 ; Seymour, Bobby 5 ; Lanzilli, Chris 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Costello, Lucas 1 ; Bennett, Pierce 1 ; Wilken, Brock 3 ; Seymour, Bobby 2 ; Lanzilli, Chris 1 ; Muntz, Shane 1 ; Broderick, James 1 ; Ludowig, Michael 2
HBP: Bennett, Pierce 1
Batting:
2B: Robby Martin 1
HR: Matheu Nelson 2 ; Robby Martin 1 ; Elijah Cabell 1 ; Reese Albert 1
RBI: Matheu Nelson 2 ; Robby Martin 1 ; Elijah Cabell 1 ; Reese Albert 3 ; Ryan Romano 1
SH: Vince Smith 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Tyler Martin 1 ; Matheu Nelson 3 ; Robby Martin 2 ; Elijah Cabell 1 ; Reese Albert 1 ; Wyatt Crowell 1 ; Vince Smith 1
