After building a five-run lead, the Miami Hurricanes (35-16, 15-13 ACC) collapsed late in a 7-6, 11-inning loss to the No. 11 ranked Florida State Seminoles (37-15, 18-10 ACC) on Thursday night in the opening game of their final ACC series of the year.
For a Miami team trying to finish the regular season strong, Thursday’s loss was one of its most painful of the year. The Hurricanes had the rivalry opener in their hands, but FSU stormed back with three late home runs before walking it off in the 11th, turning Rob Evans’ gem into a crushing defeat.
On the bump for the Canes was the senior Evans in his final regular-season collegiate start, pitching one of his best starts of the year. He allowed one earned run in seven innings pitched, striking out seven.
Unfortunately for Miami, Evans’ stellar night was overshadowed by a rough relief outing from senior Lyndon Glidewell. Glidewell entered on a heater, riding a streak of 12-straight scoreless appearances, but collapsed in the eighth and ninth, allowing five earned runs as the Seminoles forced extra innings.
FSU went with its ace, Wes Mendes, who entered with a 2.42 ERA across 78 innings and 103 strikeouts. He lasted six innings, allowing four earned runs.
The Seminoles’ bullpen stepped up from there.
After Cade O’Leary allowed two earned runs, Kevin Mebil and Chris Knier combined for five scoreless innings, with Knier earning the win.
The scoring opened with designated hitter Hunter Carnes, who launched a towering solo home run to right field beneath the College World Series banner displaying Florida State’s 24 appearances, and still, no championships.
The Canes put runners on second and third after Gabriel Milano and Jake Ogden delivered back-to-back hits in the third inning. Max Galvin then stepped to the plate and lined a shot directly into Mendes’s glove, allowing him to escape the jam with a clutch play.
In the fourth, Miami was able to get on the scoreboard when freshman Alonzo Alvarez launched a 394-foot three-run shot into deep center, continuing his red-hot year and putting the Canes ahead 3-1.
Dylan Dubovik followed with a double to center field and was eventually driven home by Milano on a fielder’s choice, giving the Canes a three-run cushion.
After Miami’s busy fourth inning, the game went scoreless in the fifth and sixth.
In the seventh, the Seminoles decided to yank Mendes and bring in O’Leary. He opened the inning by hitting Fabio Peralta, allowing a single to Ogden, and walking Galvin, all with no outs.
FSU manager Link Jarrett went back to the bullpen and called on Kevin Mebil. He induced a double play from Derek Williams that brought in a run, and Alex Sosa later added an RBI single to extend the Canes’ lead to 6–1. The hit marked Sosa’s fourth straight multi-hit game, and he has now recorded at least one RBI in eight of his last nine games.
Miami turned to Glidewell in the eighth, but FSU wasted no time making noise. Leadoff hitter John Stuetzer launched a no-doubter off the scoreboard in left for his ninth homer of the season. One batter later, Brayden Dowd followed with a deep drive to right, giving the Seminoles back-to-back home runs and cutting Miami’s lead to 6-3.
J.D. Arteaga stuck with Glidewell in the ninth inning, protecting a three-run lead, but the Seminoles quickly applied pressure with a walk and a single that put runners on the corners. FSU then brought home a run on a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to two while still keeping a man aboard.
Moments later, pinch hitter and redshirt senior Eli Putnam delivered the knockout punch, crushing a moonshot deep over the left field wall to tie the game and send it to extras. Putnam slammed his bat to the ground as the stadium lights flashed across the park, a moment that encapsulates the stakes of the Miami-FSU rivalry.
In the eleventh, the Seminoles got the bases loaded on two outs on two singles and a hit by pitch. The Canes brought in freshman Jack Durso to get the final out, but he walked Brayden Dowd to force in the winning run and end the game.
The Canes face the Seminoles in game two of the last ACC series Friday night, with live coverage on ACCNX and WVUM 90.5 FM.
