NO DAY AT THE BEACH
June 3, 2008
Wave digs 10-run hole against Florida St. and can’t escape
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
By Nakia Hogan Staff writerTALLAHASSEE, FLA. — It’s over. Those were two words the Tulane Green Wave was not ready to hear or accept.
After Josh Prince grounded out to the second baseman, ending Florida State’s 16-7 victory in the championship game of the NCAA Tallahassee Regional on Monday and concluding what was just beginning to be a fruitful Green Wave season, several Tulane players stood and watched as the Seminoles high-fived their way off the field in front of 6,032 fans at Dick Howser Stadium.
This was exactly the scene they were hoping to avoid. FSU (52-11) will host Wichita State, the winner of the Stillwater Regional, in a best-of-three super regional.
Tulane (39-22-1) simply didn’t have enough pitching to keep pace with the vaunted FSU lineup, which featured eight players hitting better than .300. Though FSU catcher Buster Posey was selected the regional’s Most Outstanding Player, center fielder Tyler Holt stole the show, going 5-for-6 with four runs and two RBIs, becoming the first Seminole this season with five hits in one game.
The Seminoles scored six runs in the fourth inning and four in the fifth to take a 10-0 lead before cruising into their eighth super regional in the past 10 years.
For all the success Tulane had on the mound in winning the first two games of the regional, Green Wave pitchers struggled against FSU, which beat Tulane for the second consecutive day.
After Tulane gave up 14 hits in Sunday’s 17-8 loss to the Seminoles, Coach Rick Jones decided to start staff ace Shooter Hunt, who threw 99 pitches Friday, on two days’ rest.
That experiment started out well but didn’t last long. FSU was just as efficient as the previous day and went on to collect 18 hits Monday.
Hunt tired in the fourth inning, and he wasn’t able to work himself out of the jams the way he did in the first three innings. The Seminoles capitalized, scoring six runs.
Hunt hit Tony Delmonico, the first batter of the fourth inning, then allowed a single to Stuart Tapley. Delmonico eventually scored when Tommy Oravetz grounded out to first, giving FSU a 1-0 lead. Tapley scored on a wild pitch, increasing the lead to 2-0.
But the real damage came with two out in the inning on an
error by center fielder Anthony Scelfo, who dropped a popup
in shallow center after a long run and a near collision with
shortstop Prince. A run scored on the play. And after a
three-run double by Dennis Guinn, FSU led 6-0.
Hunt (9-4) took the loss, going 3 2/3 innings, giving up
six hits and six runs (two earned). He struck out two,
walked three and hit three batters on 86 pitches.
In all, the Green Wave used six pitchers Monday and nine
for the two games against FSU. None was effective, often
struggling with control and walking nine FSU players and
hitting four.
Perhaps the lone bright spot for the Green Wave in the
two games against the Seminoles was designated hitter Warren
McFadden, who along with left fielder Scott Powell was
selected to the all-regional team. McFadden didn’t play
in the first two games of the regional. But he went 6-for-7
in the final two games, including a solo home run in the
sixth inning that closed FSU’s margin to 10-4.
Tulane couldn’t get any closer, though. FSU
continued to batter the Green Wave’s pitchers and
scored four runs in the top of the seventh, increasing the
margin to 14-4.
Matt Fairel (11-2) picked up the win for FSU, allowing
seven hits and three earned runs in 5 2/3 innings.
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