Florida State vs Vanderbilt - NCAA Super Regionals Game 3 Recap

Florida State 7, Vanderbilt 6 – Florida State wins series 2-1; Seminoles advance to 2010 College World Series

Florida State was 16-0 on Sundays for the season coming into this rubber match of the NCAA Super Regional series against Vanderbilt.  Perhaps that is a reflection of the depth of Florida State’s starting rotation; perhaps it is a statistical aberration.  After today’s win over a game Vanderbilt squad, Florida State won its 17th and most important Sunday afternoon battle.   

Just as football usually comes down to which team is better at the line of scrimmage, baseball usually comes down to which team has stronger pitching.  Geoff Parker was clearly better than Vanderbilt’s number-three starter, as the Seminoles raced off to an early lead and held on in a nail-biter to beat the Commodores, sending Florida State to its 20th College World Series while denying Vanderbilt its first appearance in Omaha.  Overall, the pitching squads were almost equal on the day, which reflects the closeness of this deciding game. 

Before the first pitch, Geoff Parker was named the surprise starter; much of the FSU faithful expected lefty John Gast to get the nod.  However, manager Mike Martin’s move paid off, as Parker dominated the first three innings, giving up only a single.  Parker began having trouble locating his pitches in the fourth and clearly started feeling the effects of the oppressive heat, which reached nearly 100 degrees on the field.  Parker did not survive the fourth inning. 

Jack Armstrong’s start was even shorter-lived for the Commodores, as he was quickly pulled in the second inning by Vanderbilt manager Tim Corbin.  Knowing he had a whole stable of horses to go to with no arms to save for tomorrow, Corbin yanked Armstrong after he had given up a solo home run to Stephen Cardullo and then loaded the bases. 

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Relief pitcher Drew Hayes, who replaced Armstrong and gave up one hit and three inherited runs (from Armstrong), was more than solid for the remainder of his tenure.  He pitched four and a third innings and gave up no runs of his own. He scattered four hits to keep the Commodores within striking distance in a game that had previously looked like a blowout.

The bottom of the fourth inning was a wasted opportunity for Vanderbilt, who finally began wearing down Parker.  The Seminoles’ starter opened the inning by hitting the leadoff batter with a pitch and walking the second batter.  A Jason Esposito single scored a run, and a subsequent walk loaded the bases with only one out.  Martin brought in Friday starter Sean Gilmartin in a dangerous situation, and Gilmartin came through for his manager, striking out the first batter he faced and forcing a ground out to end the inning.  Martin’s decision to pull Parker, who had pitched fabulously over the first three innings, was vindicated.  Being the last game of the series, neither manager felt the need to push their starters, and at the first sign of trouble both starters were given the hook.   

The game remained 4-1 in favor of the Seminoles until the bottom of the seventh, when Vanderbilt scored two runs.  Vanderbilt, who had won a coin toss to determine the designated “home” team, began to figure out Gilmartin, who had given up only a single in his first three innings.  Vanderbilt’s Mike Yastrzemski, whose father had played for Mike Martin a generation ago early in Martin’s tenure at Florida State, and whose grandfather was one of Major League Baseball’s all-time greats, opened the inning with a single.  Andrew Giobbi followed with a single, but Yastrzemski made a base-running error, aggressively trying to score from second on a line drive to left field.  Ohmed Denesh foiled his plans by snagging the liner and doubling Yastrzemski up at second.  That would prove costly, as Anthony Gomez followed that at bat with an RBI single that would have scored Yastrzemski as well. Aaron Westlake then hit an RBI double, but because of the baserunning misadventure, the Commodores still trailed by one.   

Martin then decided to go to closer Mike McGee earlier than he would have preferred, putting him in the game in the seventh inning.  McGee - who won Game 1 of this series for Florida State with a walk-off homer on Friday - quickly hit the first batter he faced.  McGee, who is one of the many college players that both pitches and plays in the field, is not only one of FSU’s top hitters (.328 BA on the season), but also closes for the ‘Noles (1.37 ERA).  In that role, McGee had only given up a single earned run for the entire season coming into the game.  McGee got Florida State out of yet another bases-loaded jam by striking out Curt Casali, with the Seminoles clinging to a 4-3 lead.   

In the top of the eighth, the Seminoles' offense got back on track for the first time since the second inning.  VU reliever Richie Goodenow gave up a Jayce Boyd double and then hit Rafael Lopez, forcing Corbin to bring in closer Chase Reid.  Devon Travis laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third.  Corbin then decided to intentionally walk Tyler Holt, FSU’s best hitter, who reached base safely every time he stepped to the plate on Sunday.  Sherman Johnson, who had been 0 for 4 on the day, made Corbin pay by driving home all three runners with a line drive into the right-field gap in what was the biggest hit of the walk-on’s career.  FSU led 7-3 after the big Johnson hit. 

Florida State would need every one of those insurance runs.  After pitching a perfect eighth inning, McGee struggled mightily in the ninth.  Perhaps because of a long lightning delay in the eighth inning, when it was uncertain if the pitchers would remain fresh, McGee was not sharp.  The usually reliable FSU closer opened the bottom of the ninth by walking pinch hitter Riley Reynolds and giving up a single to Brian Harris.  After striking out Gomez, McGee gave up an RBI double to Westlake.  McGee then came up with a huge strike out of Esposito - the imposing clean-up hitter - before giving up a bizarre two-run single to Casali, which pulled Vanderbilt within one run.  Casali appeared to check his swing on a high fastball, but he made contact without following through, and the ball just got past second baseman Devon Travis.  Representing the run that would send the Commodores to the first College World Series in school history, Joe Loftus stepped to the plate with two outs and a one-run defecit.  After getting up on the count 0-2, McGee got Loftus to chase a low, outside breaking ball.  Loftus, who ended the game as the only Commodore batter without a hit, struck out swinging on the nasty pitch. 

As the crowd exploded, catcher Rafael Lopez ran to the mound and tackled McGee, starting the joyous Florida State dogpile.  What had been the tensest of tense situations, with the potential game-winning run at the plate, turned into pandemonium, as Florida State survived the bottom of the ninth rally to send the Seminoles to their 20th College World Series.  Florida State was the third team to advance to Omaha, joining Florida and South Carolina, both of whom had previously advanced. 

By: John Cary
ACC Fans Staff Writer