Skip to main content
Florida State
Join Now

Down to final strike (twice), Pitt hits 3-run HR to knock off No. 11 FSU in ACC quarterfinals

On3 imageby: Corey Clark05/23/26Corey_Clark

The Florida State baseball team was one strike away from victory against the Pitt Panthers on Friday night in the ACC Tournament.

Twice.

The first time came on a 3-2 pitch to star slugger Lorenzo Carrier with two outs. It was called a ball. It was very, very close to a strike.

It was so close that FSU pitcher Brodie Purcell started to celebrate, thinking he had recorded the closing strikeout. But Carrier walked down to first instead.

Then, the next batter, Kai Wagner, got into a 1-2 hole, and the Seminoles were again one strike away. But Wagner smoked Purcell’s 1-2 fastball, which was down and in, for a go-ahead three-run homer and an 8-6 lead.

Florida State’s offense, which essentially only got one big hit all game, went down meekly in the bottom of the inning, and the Seminoles’ ACC Tournament was over in the quarterfinals. And they’ll have to wait for the NCAA Selection Show on Monday to see who they’ll play in the Tallahassee Regional next weekend.

Friday’s game not only ended horribly for the Seminoles, but it started that way as well.

Pitt scored four runs in the first inning off FSU ace Wes Mendes, thanks in part to some poor defense.

Ben Barrett committed an error on the first batter of the game, Hunter Carns then allowed a passed ball; a Cal Fisher throwing error on a bunt single allowed a run to score, and then Mendes allowed a three-run, opposite-field home run to Trey Fenderson to give the Panthers an early 4-0 lead.

For the game, Florida State was charged with four errors. One each by each member of the infield. Left fielder Chase Williams also misplayed a ball, and it tipped off his glove but was ruled a double.

But even with all of the miscues, the Seminoles — thanks to Mendes and the bat of Barrett — were able to get themselves back in the game. Mendes allowed just one run over his final four innings of work, a solo home run to Wagner, and wound up striking out eight and walking just one.

The Florida State offense got on board in the first with an RBI single by Brody DeLamielleure and then finally broke through with a big inning in the fifth. With runners on first and second and one out, Hunter Carns laced a 108-mph groundball to short that looked like it could be an inning-ending double play ball. But it was booted.

And Barrett made the Panthers pay, rocketing an off-speed pitch to the bleachers in right for a grand slam to tie the game. It was the first homer for Barrett in three years.

Florida State had plenty more opportunities through the course of the game to have big innings — Cal Fisher left the bases loaded twice — but finally took the lead when Barrett’s two-out, two-strike groundball to second base was booted by Fenderson, allowing John Stuetzer to score the go-ahead run.

The late lead was possible only because of the terrific work by Chris Knier out of the bullpen. The righty allowed no runs in three innings and struck out five to give the Seminoles a chance to win.

Which they came oh-so-close to doing.

But alas, Purcell’s 1-2 fastball wound up in the seats, and the Seminoles were sent home from North Carolina with an 8-6 defeat.

*Talk about this story with other die-hard Florida State baseball fans in the FSU Baseball Forum*

You may also like