FSU pitcher Jamie Arnold improves to 9-3 in win vs. Georgia Tech
Three solo home runs launched No. 10 Florida State (38-13, 16-11 ACC) over Georgia Tech (30-20, 14-14 ACC), winning Thursday evening’s contest 8-3 at Dick Howser Stadium to take game one of the three-game series.
FSU’s first hit came in the bottom of the third inning off the bat of Alex Lodise, hitting a solo home run to score the game’s first run, giving the Noles a 1-0 lead.
Both teams scored in the fourth, starting with Georgia Tech answering the solo shot with a two-run single. Florida State quickly returned to work in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases and scoring another run to tie the game 2-2.
Drew Faurot broke the tie in the fifth, hitting his fifth home run for the Seminoles. Cam Smith added a third solo shot for FSU in the sixth. The Seminoles scored another run in the inning to take a 5-2 lead.
Georgia Tech plated a run and loaded the bases in the seventh. FSU called on Brennen Oxford to relieve Jamie Arnold. Oxford got out of the bases-loaded jam, forcing a line-out and a strikeout to end the inning, keeping FSU in the top 5-3.
FSU added some insurance in the eighth, taking advantage of a Yellow Jackets error and a Max Williams two-RBI double to extend their lead 8-3.
Smith led the way for the Seminoles, recording his ninth three-hit game of the season, and scored two runs in the victory.
In his 14th start, Arnold pitched 6.1 innings, allowed three earned runs, and struck out six. He improved his record to 9-3. Oxford finished the remainder of the game, pitching 2.2 innings and allowing zero runs in his 23rd-season appearance.
Scoring Summary:
B3 | GT 0, FSU 1 Lodise home run (7th, 410 ft)
T4 | GT 2, FSU 1 Zmarzlak singled, Giesler and Becchetti scored
B4 | GT 2, FSU 2 Ferrer grounded into double play, Smith scored
B5 | GT 2, FSU 3 Faurot home run (5th, 376 ft)
B6 | GT 2, FSU 4 Smith home run (13th, 371 ft)
B6 | GT 2, FSU 5 Cantu sacrifice bunt, Tibbs scored
T7 | GT 3, FSU 5 Burress singled, Kerce scored
B8 | GT 3, FSU 6 Ross scored on wild pitch
B8 | GT 3, FSU 8 M. Williams doubled, Cantu and Faurot scored
Of Note:
Cam Smith was 3-for-4 with his 13th home run, a career-high. Smith is hitting .396 and leads FSU with 28 multi-hit games and 11 games with 3+ hits.
Smith added two runs and leads FSU with 65 on the season.
Middle infielders Alex Lodise (7th) and Drew Faurot (5th) also went deep for the Noles.
Jamie Arnold pitched 6.1 innings, allowing 11 hits but just three runs. Arnold has 124 strikeouts in the season, which is second-highest in the ACC. He is 9-3, the most wins by a Seminole in the regular season since Scott Sitz and Brandon Leibrandt both also had nine in 2013.
James Tibbs walked three times – tying the most by a Seminole this year – and extended his on-base streak to nine games, a team-high.
Florida State has a home run in 25 of the past 26 games and 46 of 51 for the year.
Florida State’s 38 wins are the most in the regular season since 2018 when FSU entered the ACC Tournament 39-17.
Up Next:
Florida State and Georgia Tech will close the regular season with a doubleheader Friday, beginning at 2:00 p.m. Both games will stream on ACCNX. FSU’s senior day recognitions will begin at 1:30 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU baseball beat Georgia Tech at home
