Florida State badly needed a win in its regular-season finale vs. North Carolina after dropping the first two games in underwhelming fashion.
Myles Bailey made sure FSU got exactly that.
The freshman first baseman provided nearly all of FSU's scoring in Saturday's series finale, opening the scoring with a three-run home run in the first inning and putting the Seminoles ahead for good with an RBI single in the eighth inning. He had four of FSU's five RBI in a 5-4 win the No. 2 Seminoles (37-13, 17-10 in ACC) needed over No. 4 North Carolina (39-12, 18-11) to preserve a top-four seed in the ACC Tournament as well as their NCAA Tournament resume.
"Heck of a game. I cannot tell you how difficult it was to walk out of here after those first two (games)..." FSU head coach Link Jarrett said. "I've never seen a group respond the way they responded to that."
It was just Bailey's second time this season with four or more RBI in a game. His first-inning three-run homer after back-to-back hits from Alex Lodise and Max Williams was his 12th of the season.
After that hot start, though, the Seminoles were unable to add to their lead with a few opportunities. Although they put at least one runner on base in seven of their eight innings, FSU put up six consecutive scoreless innings after putting up the three-spot in the first frame.
FSU starting pitcher Wes Mendes found himself in some jams Saturday. But he limited the damage very well thanks to a trio of groundball double plays that helped him get out of tight situations. The sophomore lefty gave FSU the extended outing it needed after failing to get that from its first two starters. Most notably, he got out of a bases-loaded jam unscathed in the sixth with a 4-6-3 double play.
However, a one-out walk in the seventh ended Mendes' outing. Peyton Prescott relieved him and allowed a game-tying two-run home run to the first batter he faced, leveling the game at 3-3. Mendes finished his outing allowing two runs on four hits over 6.1 innings with three strikeouts and four walks.
"That's the best he's ever thrown," Jarrett said of Mendes.
FSU had a prime chance to take the lead right back in the bottom of the seventh, putting two runners on with one out and loading the bases with two outs on an infield single, walk and hit-by-pitch. However, a Chase Williams strikeout left the bases loaded.
The next half-inning, UNC took the lead for the first time Saturday on a two-out home run from Gavin Gallaher, putting FSU on the brink of being swept.
But after the Seminoles were 2 for 11 (.154) with runners on base in the first seven innings, they got consecutive two-out hits in the eighth, one from Williams to tie the game up after UNC elected to intentionally walk Lodise that tied the game and then Bailey's single that proved to be the game-winner.
"Just kind of don't think," Bailey said of how he stays grounded in those high-pressure moments like the eighth inning Saturday. "Just know that you're that guy and just know that the pitcher is going to have to come to you and you're going to have to do something."
After Prescott allowed the go-ahead single in the eighth, FSU brought John Abraham out of the bullpen. He got out of an inherited-runner jam in the eighth with a groundout and then worked a scoreless ninth in which he walked one and struck out three. He earned his fourth win of the season with 1.1 scoreless innings of relief work.
With this win, FSU will be the No. 2 seed in the ACC Baseball Tournament next week in Durham, N.C. It earns a double-bye into the quarterfinals and will play its first game Friday at 3 p.m. against either No. 7 seed Duke, No. 10 seed Louisville or No. 15 seed Pittsburgh.
Myles Bailey made sure FSU got exactly that.
The freshman first baseman provided nearly all of FSU's scoring in Saturday's series finale, opening the scoring with a three-run home run in the first inning and putting the Seminoles ahead for good with an RBI single in the eighth inning. He had four of FSU's five RBI in a 5-4 win the No. 2 Seminoles (37-13, 17-10 in ACC) needed over No. 4 North Carolina (39-12, 18-11) to preserve a top-four seed in the ACC Tournament as well as their NCAA Tournament resume.
"Heck of a game. I cannot tell you how difficult it was to walk out of here after those first two (games)..." FSU head coach Link Jarrett said. "I've never seen a group respond the way they responded to that."
It was just Bailey's second time this season with four or more RBI in a game. His first-inning three-run homer after back-to-back hits from Alex Lodise and Max Williams was his 12th of the season.
After that hot start, though, the Seminoles were unable to add to their lead with a few opportunities. Although they put at least one runner on base in seven of their eight innings, FSU put up six consecutive scoreless innings after putting up the three-spot in the first frame.
FSU starting pitcher Wes Mendes found himself in some jams Saturday. But he limited the damage very well thanks to a trio of groundball double plays that helped him get out of tight situations. The sophomore lefty gave FSU the extended outing it needed after failing to get that from its first two starters. Most notably, he got out of a bases-loaded jam unscathed in the sixth with a 4-6-3 double play.
However, a one-out walk in the seventh ended Mendes' outing. Peyton Prescott relieved him and allowed a game-tying two-run home run to the first batter he faced, leveling the game at 3-3. Mendes finished his outing allowing two runs on four hits over 6.1 innings with three strikeouts and four walks.
"That's the best he's ever thrown," Jarrett said of Mendes.
FSU had a prime chance to take the lead right back in the bottom of the seventh, putting two runners on with one out and loading the bases with two outs on an infield single, walk and hit-by-pitch. However, a Chase Williams strikeout left the bases loaded.
The next half-inning, UNC took the lead for the first time Saturday on a two-out home run from Gavin Gallaher, putting FSU on the brink of being swept.
But after the Seminoles were 2 for 11 (.154) with runners on base in the first seven innings, they got consecutive two-out hits in the eighth, one from Williams to tie the game up after UNC elected to intentionally walk Lodise that tied the game and then Bailey's single that proved to be the game-winner.
"Just kind of don't think," Bailey said of how he stays grounded in those high-pressure moments like the eighth inning Saturday. "Just know that you're that guy and just know that the pitcher is going to have to come to you and you're going to have to do something."
After Prescott allowed the go-ahead single in the eighth, FSU brought John Abraham out of the bullpen. He got out of an inherited-runner jam in the eighth with a groundout and then worked a scoreless ninth in which he walked one and struck out three. He earned his fourth win of the season with 1.1 scoreless innings of relief work.
With this win, FSU will be the No. 2 seed in the ACC Baseball Tournament next week in Durham, N.C. It earns a double-bye into the quarterfinals and will play its first game Friday at 3 p.m. against either No. 7 seed Duke, No. 10 seed Louisville or No. 15 seed Pittsburgh.
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