Duke Knocks Off Top-Ranked Florida State With 8-5 Win Over Seminoles

Saturday, March 31

Durham, N.C.

2:00 PM

Duke University

Florida State

Duke Knocks Off Top-Ranked Florida State With 8-5 Win Over Seminoles

3/31/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C. – The Duke Blue Devils used a six-run second inning and got a solid pitching performance from senior Tony Bajoczky to knock off No. 1 Florida State, 8-5, on Saturday afternoon at Jack Coombs Field. With the win, the Blue Devils improve to 20-10 on the season and 2-9 in the ACC while the Seminoles fall to 28-2 and 7-1, respectively.

Florida State took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly by catcher Buster Posey.

Duke then scored six runs in the bottom of the second to take a 6-1 lead. Third baseman Brett Bartles lined a leadoff standup triple off the wall in center to start the inning. Two batters later, designated hitter Tim Sherlock drew a one-out walk before shortstop Gabriel Saade laced an RBI-single to center to score Bartles. Following the second out of the frame, left fielder Alexander Hassan kept the inning alive, driving the first pitch he saw into the gap in left center for a two-run double. Center fielder Jonathan Anderson then sent an RBI-single to center, scoring Hassan and moving to second on the throw to the plate. Right fielder Jimmy Gallagher followed with an RBI-double into the right field corner to score Anderson and first baseman Nate Freiman capped the frame with an RBI-single to chase Florida State starter Michael Hyde out of the game. Hyde came into Saturday's contest with a perfect 8-0 record.

Florida State second baseman Tony Thomas Jr. had a solo home run in the top of the third and center fielder D'Vontrey Richardson drew a bases-loaded walk in the fourth to cut Duke's lead to 6-3.

Richardson added a leadoff solo shot in the top of the seventh to make it a 6-4 ballgame. The Seminoles threatened to score again later in the seventh with a runner on third but Posey's hard-hit grounder up the middle was knocked down by pitcher Michael Ness' foot and catcher Matt Williams came out from behind the plate to throw Posey out at first to end the inning.

The Blue Devils scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth to extend their lead to 8-4. Bartles again led off the inning with a triple, this time lining a 1-0 pitch into the gap in left center. Following a Florida State pitching change, Williams lifted a sacrifice fly to right to score Bartles. After Sherlock drew another walk and second baseman Ryan McCurdy was hit by a pitch, Hassan sent a two-out RBI-single down the left field line to score Sherlock.

Pinch hitter Tommy Oravetz led off the top of the ninth with a solo shot to right center to cut Duke's lead to 8-5 but freshman Michael Seander got Richardson and first baseman Brandon Reichert to ground out before striking out Thomas to end the game.

Bajoczky, a Tallahassee, Fla., native improved to 5-2 on the season, holding the Seminoles to four runs on six hits in 6.2 innings of work. Bajoczky also had four strikeouts in the win. Ness worked 1.1 scoreless innings without giving up a hit and Seander pitched the ninth for Duke in the win.

Hyde suffered his first loss of the year, falling to 8-1 after allowing six runs on seven hits in 1.2 innings pitched.

Bartles led the Blue Devils at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a pair of triples and two runs scored. Gallagher went 2-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored, Freiman finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and Hassan was 2-for-5 with a double, three RBI and a run scored. Anderson, Williams and Saade all added one RBI apiece in the win.

Duke and Florida State will wrap up the series tomorrow at noon. Sophomore right-hander Andrew Wolcott (3-1, 5.74 ERA) will battle Florida State right-hander Ryan Strauss (6-0, 1.57 ERA) on Sunday.

-d-u-k-e-