The game was the longest in series history since a 17-inning marathon back on April 7, 2000 in Tallahassee.
CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- In a game that covered exactly six hours and tied for the longest in series history, No. 12 Florida State (32-12, 15-7) outlasted No. 13 Miami (30-12, 15-7) 8-7 in 17 innings at Mark Light Field.
Friday night’s game featured a combined 27 hits, 29 runners left on base, eight sacrifice bunts and three sac flies by both teams.
Three times Florida State plated a run in extra innings only to watch Miami answer the call in the 11th, 13th and 14th innings, respectively.
Then in the 17th, Ben DeLuzio scored what proved to be the eventual game-winner on a wild pitch by Derik Beauprez (1-2). The sophomore centerfielder opened the inning with a single through the left side, stole second and moved into third on a fly out to right by Taylor Walls. On the first offering to Danny De La Calle, Beauprez unleashed a wild pitch allowing DeLuzio to score from third standing up.
As was the case all night long, Miami would not go quietly as Brandon Lopez opened the bottom of the 17th with a single back up the middle off Will Zirzow. After a sacrifice bunt by Christopher Barr moved Lopez to second, the game would finally come to a close after a bizarre game-ending double play.
Justin Smith flew out to DeLuzio in center for the second out but Lopez got too far off second and was thrown out by Walls, who took the relay throw from DeLuzio and sent a strike over to John Sansone at second to register the final out of the game.
“It was the fight of our baseball team that I am just so proud of,” Florida State head coach Mike Martin said. “We would score, they would tie it. We would score, they would tie it. And then what a way for the game to end; just a real credit to our young men, a big win. We know we can’t live with this very long but at the same time we are going to live with it for as long as we can.”
The win moved Florida State to 2-0 in extra innings and 10-1 in one-run ball games on the year. The game, which tied for the longest in series history since the two teams played a 17-inning marathon back on April 7, 2000 in Tallahassee, also marked the longest game FSU has played since defeating Wake Forest 4-3 in 20 innings in Winston-Salem back in 2006. After it was all said and done, it also marked the longest game ever played at Mark Light Field.
Josh Delph led all hitters on Friday night with a career-high five hits. He was 5-for-7 on the night with a walk and a run scored. Delph became the first Seminole to record five hits in a game since Jayce Boyd went 5-for-6 vs Rhode Island on April 27, 2012.
Quincy Nieporte was 3-for-5 with two runs, two RBI and two walks, while Dylan Busby had his fifth three-hit game of the season. Danny De La Calle also garnered two hits and scored twice in the win.
Zirzow (1-0) earned his first career win as he worked a career-high 3.2 shutout innings. The redshirt freshman right hander was tremendous in relief allowing just two hits and a walk.
Cobi Johnson gave the Seminoles 4.0 solid innings in relief as he worked the 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th innings on Friday night. The freshman right hander was charged with three runs, two earned on four hits as he walked one and tied a career-high with six strikeouts.
“[Will] Zirzow and Cobi Johnson pitched very well (in relief),” added Martin. “It was obviously a team victory and it took every single one of us. We are just very, very happy to come away with the victory.”
Neither starting pitcher would factor into the decision on Friday night. Boomer Biegalski allowed an unearned run on two hits in 5.1 innings of work as he walked three and struck out five. Thomas Woodrey gave up four runs on nine hits as he walked one and struck out one in 6.2 innings.
