LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Florida State opened its third consecutive series versus a top 25 team Friday night traveling to Louisville (38-12, 21-4) in a key series not only for ACC Atlantic division positioning but with national seed implications on the line. Facing a Cardinals squad ranked No. 2 in the nation and a record 6,138 fans, Florida State (37-14, 17-8) made a statement in the opening game jumping out to a 6-0 lead after the top of the second before cruising to a 13-4 win. It was FSU’s ninth win in its last 11 games versus top 25 opponents.
“Tonight’s game was just one of those where things went our way,” head coach Mike Martin said. “We needed a key hit. We got the key hit by Marconcini in the first inning with an at bat for the records, no doubt. Boomer pitched very well for five innings, held them right there. That obviously is a very good baseball team it just happened to go our way tonight.”
“To come in here and just get the first one out of the way is just huge and moving into tomorrow,” John Sansone said. “We have a short night tonight and just going to try and do the same thing tomorrow.”
National Player of the Year candidate DJ Stewart was one of three Seminoles to record multiple RBIs in the opener joined by Chris Marconcini and Ben DeLuzio, who hit FSU’s lone homer, as the Seminoles pounded out 13 runs on 10 hits. It was the second time in eight days FSU has scored 13 or more runs versus a top 25 opponent after putting up 16 in a win over Coastal Carolina a week ago in the Friday night series opener. FSU’s 13 runs also marked the first time this season Louisville has allowed an opponent to score double digit runs.
The #Noles beat Louisville 13-4 to take the opening game of the series. pic.twitter.com/WEu1p4Du7M
— FSU Baseball (@FSU_Baseball) May 9, 2015
“We did a lot of things right when it came to moving runners, when it came to a ball we needed the outfield reached to score a run we did it,” Martin said. “It was just one of those we worked ourselves into good hitting counts and of course Mike Martin Jr. handles our hitters, we had some good swings when we got in those counts. It was just one of those, like I say, things just went our way.”
Boomer Biegalski pitched five innings for FSU picking up the win and improving to 5-3 on the season. This was the third straight Friday night win for the sophomore versus a ranked opponent. The Seminole bullpen was spotless the rest of the way as three pitchers combined to shut Louisville down over the final four innings allowing just two hits.
“It is huge for us to get runs on the board for [Boomer] because we know he is going to keep them down to one or two runs,” said Sansone. “That’s definitely huge.”
The runs in the first inning off of Louisville’s Kyle Funkhouser set the tone for the night. Stewart and Quincy Nieporte drawing two key walks to load the bases with one out set the stage for Marconcini. The redshirt senior’s two-run single off the Cardinals ace began the six-run onslaught in the first two innings for FSU.
“Funkhouser is obviously going to be a top pick, no question about it,” Martin said. “He just had an off night. The only way you can look at it is it just happened to be an off night for him and some things went our way.”
“[Funkhouser] was keeping the ball low really well,” said Stewart. “He just couldn’t find the strike zone for a little bit. Sometimes you just have nights like that but he did a great job going five innings for them. I think he threw 46 pitches in the first inning. He did a great job extending the start and making it what it was.”
