Big Seventh Inning Pushes FSU Past Louisville in Opener

Friday, April 8

Tallahassee, FL

6:00 PM

University of Louisville

23-6, 9-4

Florida State

21-7, 8-1

Louisville

Florida State

Colby Fitch scores a run at FSU (Photo: Ross Obley)

Colby Fitch scores a run during Friday's loss at Florida State. (Photo: Ross Obley/FSU)

Big Seventh Inning Pushes FSU Past Louisville in Opener

April 08, 2016 | Baseball

Box Score

Hairston goes 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBI for Cardinals, who surrender seven-run seventh inning in the loss

By: Garett Wall

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Louisville sophomore shortstop Devin Hairston capped a three-hit performance with a two-run homer but it was not enough to overcome a seven-run seventh inning in No. 5 Florida State's 12-7 series-opening win over the No. 4 Cardinals on Friday night at Dick Howser Stadium.

Hairston finished 3-for-5 with three RBI, including his first home run of the season in the top of the seventh inning to give Louisville (23-6, 9-4 ACC) a 7-5 lead. It was the fifth three-hit performance of the season for Hairston, who has a team-leading 14 multi-hit games and has hit safely in nine straight games. The lead on the second career home run by Hairston was short-lived as the Seminoles (21-7, 8-1 ACC) answered with seven runs on five hits in the bottom of the inning to wrestle command of the game.

The scoring in the pivotal seventh inning started with a one-out RBI single to right by Gage West and was followed one hitter later with a RBI sacrifice fly to right field by Taylor Walls. John Sansone gave the Seminoles their first lead of the night and one they would not relinquish with a two-out, two-run double down the left field line. Cal Raleigh followed with a two-run homer to right center before FSU added its final run in the inning when a throwing error allowed pinch runner Hank Truluck to score.

Hairston's night highlighted a three-homer performance for the Cardinals sophomore catcher Colby Fitch and sophomore Pitcher Brendan McKay added solo shots. Junior outfielder Colin Lyman doubled, tripled and scored twice, while junior outfielder Logan Taylor was 2-for-4 with one RBI. Freshman shortstop Devin Mann added his first career three-hit performance in the losing cause.

The Cardinals broke through for the first run of the night in the first inning when Hairston drove Fitch home with a two-out single to center off FSU starter Mike Compton. Fitch started things with a one-out walk and moved to second on a single to center by Mann before Hairston sent a 1-2 offering into center for the lead.

Louisville doubled its advantage in the second inning when Lyman scored on a two-out RBI single by junior outfielder Corey Ray for the 2-0 lead. Lyman doubled down the left field line on a two-out pitch from Compton and moved to third on a fielding error by Walls at shortstop before Ray served a 2-0 pitch into left field for his team-leading 37th RBI of the season.

Florida State broke through for its first run of the game in the third inning on a RBI double to left field by Sansone to score Walls, who doubled earlier in the inning.

The Cardinals and Seminoles then traded two-run frames in the fourth inning. Louisville led off the inning with a triple to right center by Lyman, who was driven home moments later on a RBI single to left by Taylor. Later in the inning, after a groundball and a caught stealing cleared the bases, Fitch crushed a 3-2 pitch from lefty reliever Alec Byrd sending it out to right field for his fifth home run of the season. FSU answered in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run single to left by Matt Henderson.

McKay pushed the Louisville cushion to 5-3 with a solo home run to right field to begin the fifth inning. The lefty swinging McKay launched a 2-2 pitch from Byrd over the wall and bounding into the FSU Flying High Circus tent beyond right field at Dick Howser Stadium.

The Seminoles battled back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to even the score at 5-5. After an infield single and back-to-back walks loaded the bases, West scored from third when Sansone rolled into a 4-6-3 double-play. Raleigh followed with a RBI single through the right side to send Henderson home.

Louisville regained the lead in the top of the seventh inning when Hairston crushed a 3-1 pitch from Seminoles lefty Matthew Kinney sending it off the scoreboard in left field for a two-run shot and a 7-5 advantage. The home run also scored McKay, who reached base on a fielder's choice earlier in the inning.

Junior righthander Jake Sparger suffered the loss for the Cardinals and dropped to 0-1 on the season after allowing four runs on three hits in 0.2 innings of work during Friday's seventh inning. Matthew Kinney was credited with the win for the Seminoles despite allowing two runs on two hits in his one inning of relief.

The Cardinals and Seminoles will continue their series Saturday at 6 p.m., ET, while Sunday's finale is set for 1 p.m. ESPN3 is providing television coverage for each game of the weekend slate in Tallahassee.

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