TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The No. 5 nationally seeded Seminoles pounded out 23 runs on 16 hits Sunday evening at Dick Howser Stadium to defeat the No. 6 Texas A&M baseball team 23-9 and even the Tallahassee Super Regional at one game apiece.
“If you had told me we were going to score nine runs tonight, I would have felt pretty good about our chances,” Texas A&M head coach Rob Childress said. “Florida State did an outstanding job, took us out to the woodshed. That’s the kind of offensive performance I was talking about last night (that) Florida State’s capable of. We couldn’t get a stop. I thought we made them nervous a couple of different times. We had a six-run third, made them look nervous but that’s probably about it.”
The loss by the Aggies (46-20) sets up a winner-take-all game three on Monday at 6 p.m. (CST) to decide which school will advance to the College World Series. Texas A&M will send right-hander Michael Wacha (8-3, 2-10 ERA) to the mound while FSU has announced it will start righty Hunter Scantling (3-2, 3.82 ERA).
“I think they (his players) have got a pretty short-term memory 65 games in,” Childress added. “I think they are going to come out and play hard tomorrow.”
Monday’s game will be televised live on ESPN2 as well as on-line at ESPN3.com.
Florida State (46-18) wasted no time getting its offense in gear Sunday as the Seminoles erupted in the top of the first by batting around to plate five runs against Texas A&M starter Derrick Hadley (0-1). The Aggie freshman lasted just one inning and was tagged with six runs before leaving after a leadoff double in the top of the second inning.
An RBI single by Seminole right fielder James Ramsey in the top of the second extended the FSU lead to 6-0.
FSU left fielder Stuart Tapley, who homered twice in the contest, extended the FSU lead to 8-0 during the top of the third as he connected on a two-run shot off A&M reliever Brandon Parrent.
Texas A&M hit the comeback trail in the home half of the third as the Aggies plated six runs to pull within 8-6. A bases-loaded walk drawn by Krey Bratsen kicked off the scoring for the Aggies before sac flies from Matt Juengel and Kevin Gonzalez along with an RBI single from Jacob House scored runs for A&M. Sophomore left fielder Brandon Wood capped off the inning by driving in two more runs with a double to right center.
Tapley again put a run on the scoreboard for FSU in the top of the fourth as he notched an RBI double and the Seminoles were able to score a second run on the play following an A&M throwing error, making the score 10-6.
Florida State used the long ball to build upon its lead from that point on as shortstop Justin Gonzalez connected on a three-run long ball in the top of the sixth and was followed in the next at bat by Tapley’s second homer of the game.
Seminole first baseman Jayce Boyd, who went 4-for-4 at the plate Sunday, joined the home run parade in the top of the seventh as he connect on a two-run shot to make the score 16-6. The homer was his second against Aggie pitching in as many days.
Senior Gregg Alcazar came off the bench to contribute a two-run single for Texas A&M during the bottom of the seventh, which also featured an RBI single from senior shortstop Kenny Jackson.
The FSU offensive fireworks reached a crescendo during the top of the eighth when seven more Seminole runs crossed the plate to give the game its final score.
Reliever Scott Stiz (4-2) picked up the win for the ‘Noles by pitching four innings against the Aggies, who used five pitchers in the contest.
The start of the game was delayed 1:06 due to a rain storm moving through the area around Dick Howser Stadium.