TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- No. 17 Florida State (15-4, 3-1) dropped its first ACC game of the season Friday night falling to Wake Forest (13-6, 3-1) 4-1 on Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium. The loss snapped the Seminoles’ 11-game win streak while it marked their first loss at home in 15 games this year.
Just 10 minutes before the start of Friday night’s game, FSU’s Mike Compton was scratched from his scheduled start due to an abdominal strain that he suffered during warm-up tosses in the bullpen.
“I was very proud of the way we fought in a very unusual situation when you’re 10 minutes from the first pitch and you get a call from the bullpen saying I got bad news,” Florida State head coach Mike Martin said. “Unfortunately Michael has a pulled abdominal muscle. He didn’t do anything different then he’s been doing the entire time he’s been here, it just happened.”
Ed Voyles was called upon to make the emergency start, the first of his career. The redshirt freshman went 1.2 innings allowing an unearned run on three hits as he struck out two and did not issue a walk in suffering the loss.
“I found out like 10 minutes before the game; 5:50 I was standing in the dugout and Eleven yells over ‘you’re in, you’re starting,’” said Ed Voyles. “I was just thinking about going out there; gotta get loose, gotta get ready. I was definitely feeling butterflies in my stomach for sure, but I felt pretty comfortable, it wasn’t too bad.”
Wake took advantage of a fielding error in the second to plate the game’s first run. Ben Breazeale reached on the error to open the inning and then scored on an RBI single to right by Justin Yurchak.
The Demon Deacons added two more runs in the third to widen their lead to 3-0. Nate Mondou and Will Craig started the inning with back-to-back doubles off Taylor Folsom. Craig would score the second run of the inning on a sac-fly to right by Joe Napolitano.
The Deacs had their chances to add to their lead in the early goings but stranded 10 runners through the first five innings leaving the bases loaded in the second and fifth innings.
The three runs were plenty for Wake Forest starter Matt Pirro, who moved to 5-0 on the year, after allowing a run on two hits in 5.2 innings of work. The senior right hander finished with three walks and four strikeouts.
“I was very proud of the way we battled,” added Martin. “Had a couple of opportunities, we left 12 on, they left 11, so it was one of those games that it could have been a lot worse for us but we kept battling. And that’s all we can ask from our guys.”
The Seminoles put something together off Pirro in the sixth after the Wake starter walked Taylor Walls, gave up an infield single to DJ Stewart and then hit Dylan Busby with a pitch. With the bases loaded and two outs, the Deacs went to the bullpen and called on Saturday’s scheduled starter Parker Dunshee.
Dunshee issued a walk to Quincy Nieporte to drive in Walls but then got Josh Delph looking at a called third strike after a long at-bat to retire the side.
Florida State would continue to put base runners on over the final three innings against Dunshee, but could not seem to find the big hit. The Seminoles finished Friday night’s game leaving 12 runners stranded.
Wake, who entered Friday’s game as the top hitting team in the ACC with a .323 mark, out hit Florida State 12-4.
Nieporte had two of FSU’s four hits singling in the second and eighth innings. The sophomore first baseman reached on three of his four plate appearances.
The Seminoles would not go quietly in the ninth as pinch hitter Hank Truluck drew a walk and John Sansone singled to right. But Dunshee was just too much as he got Stewart swinging on strikes and Chris Marconcini to groundout to first to end the game.
“It was frustrating that we lost, no one is ever happy losing but everyone has faith and trust in each and know that we can get it done,” said Nieporte. “It was just one of those days where it didn’t seem much was falling for us.”
Dunshee worked the final 3.1 innings to earn his first save of the season. He did not allow a run but gave up two hits and five walks while striking out seven.
“They did a very good job mixing speeds, location, they located very well,” said Nieporte on the performance of both Pirro and Dunshee. “They came in on us hard and got some of us to chase. They did what they had to do, they were on tonight.”
Jim Voyles worked a career-high 3.0 innings in the loss allowing a run on five hits as he walked one and struck out three.
Will Zirzow came on in relief of Jim Voyles in the sixth and also pitched a career-high in innings. The redshirt freshman right hander faced the minimum in his 3.1 innings of work as he allowed just one hit and no walks while striking out four. “They showed a lot of poise; they were in control of their emotions,” added Martin on the performance of his young pitchers on Friday night.
