Florida State Rally Stuns LSU, 6-4
Mike Martin is one win away from ending his career at the College World Series
Reese Albert belted a pair of home runs and drove in four as Florida State rallied from a 4-0 deficit to defeat #!3 seed LSU 6-4 Saturday afternoon at Alex Box Stadium/Skip Bertman Field.
Albert's first homer, a three-run blast off reliever Trent Vietmeier in the seventh tied the game. The mammoth shot came on a 3-2 pitch in the eleventh pitch of the at-bat. The second home run came in the ninth inning off Zach Hess and added an insurance run.
FSU took the lead in the eighth when Mathieu Nelson drew a one-out walk of LSU reliever Devin Fontenot (5-3) and Nander De Sedas singled him to second. Hess then relieved Fontenot and walked Carter Smith and Becker delivered the fly ball that gave Florida State its first lead.
LSU was forced to use its bullpen early when LSU starter Cole Tracy walked the bases loaded in the second, but got out of it with a strikeout. LSU head coach Paul Mainieri decided to pull Tracy after the second in favor of Todd Peterson who did not allow a hit until the sixth.
FSU starter Drew Parrish wasn't so fortunate. He hit Daniel Cabrera with a pitch and then walked Cade Beloso with one out. A passed ball moved the runners to second and third and Brandt Broussard followed with a bloop single to center to give LSU a 1-0 lead. But Parrish struck out the next two hitters to get out of it with just one run.
The Tigers added to their lead an inning later when Josh Smith doubled, went to third on Zach Watson's grounder and scored on another grounder by Antoine Duplantis. Chris Reid's RBI single plated another run in the fourth, and the Tigers chased Parrish in the fifth after an RBI single by Cabrera.
Held hitless through the first five innings, the Seminoles got on the board in the sixth when Drew Mendoza drew a one-out walk and was singled to third by Robby Martin. After J. C. Flowers lined out, an infield hit by Nelson scored Mendoza to make the score 4-1.
LSU had their chances during the first five innings but left six men on base, had one thrown out on the bases and had another called out on appeal for missing second base.