The Noles got on the board early after a Cam Smith walk led to a James Tibbs RBI double in the bottom of the first inning, putting FSU up 1-0. NC State responded in the top of the second scoring four runs and taking a 4-1 advantage.
Coming out of a 1 hour and 40-minute weather delay, play resumed in the bottom of the third inning and the bats came out hot for the Noles with Tibbs and Marco Dinges hitting back-to-back home runs making the score 6-5 NC State after three.
Down three runs in the bottom of the eighth, Jaime Ferrer delivered a two-run single to cut the deficit to just one heading into the ninth inning.
The Wolfpack held FSU scoreless in the bottom of the ninth to hang on for the 8-7 victory.
In relief, Brennan Oxford led the way for the Noles pitching 3.2 innings and allowing just one run while striking out five.
Offensively, the Noles tallied seven hits, two of those courtesy of Tibbs who finished the game 2-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored.
SCORING SUMMARY:
B1 | NCST 0, FSU 1 Tibbs doubled, Smith scored
T2 | NCST 1, FSU 1 Cozart home run
T2 | NCST 2, FSU 1 Heavner singled, Nixon scored
T2 | NCST 4, FSU 1 Nixon singled; Soles and Heavner scored on throwing errors
B2 | NCST 4, FSU 2 Lodise scored on a wild pitch
T3 | NCST 5, FSU 2 Heavner reached on sac bunt, Nixon scored
T3 | NCST 6, FSU 2 Serrano singled, Soles scored
B3 | NCST 6, FSU 4 Tibbs home run (19th439 ft), Smith scored
B3 | NCST 6, FSU 5 Dinges home run (12th396 ft)
T6 | NCST 7, FSU 5 Makarewicz home run
T8 | NCST 8, FSU 5 Butterworth scored on a wild pitch
B8 | NCST 8, FSU 7 Ferrer singled, Tibbs and Dinges scored
OF NOTES:
- Third baseman Cam Smith drew two walks and scored two runs in his first two plate appearances, extending his on-base streak to 54 games, the eighth-longest in program history. Smith leads FSU with 57 runs scored.
- James Tibbs and Marco Dinges hit back-to-back home runs in the third inning, FSU’s fourth back-to-backs of the year. FSU has hit a home run in a school-record 19 consecutive games and 40 of 44 this year.
- Tibbs was 2-for-4 with a two-run HR and an RBI double. Tibbs leads FSU with 19 home runs, 69 RBI and 16 doubles; Tibbs’ 46 career home runs are tied for eighth in FSU history (Jeremy Morris, 1994-97).
- Jackson West hit his seventh double of the season.
- Left fielder Jaime Ferrer threw out a runner at second base in the first inning; Ferrer has two OF assists this year and five in his career. Tibbs also threw out a runner at the plate to end the third inning, his fifth of the year and ninth of his career.
- The last time FSU had multiple outfield assists in a game was the 2023 season opener vs. James Madison; Ferrer and Jordan Williams threw out runners in that game.
- Ferrer singled in two runs in the eighth inning, extending his hitting streak to a team-high eight games.
- Jamie Arnold earned his 100th strikeout of the season. Arnold entered Friday night fifth in the country in total strikeouts.
UP NEXT:
No. 7 Florida State and No. 20 NC State will play game two of the series Saturday at 7:00 pm on ACC Network. The first 500 fans will receive FSU baseball t-shirts and 2024 NFL Draft picks Jared Verse and Trey Benson will throw the first pitch.
For more information on Florida State baseball, check Seminoles.com for the latest news and scheduling information, and keep up with the team on social media through X and Facebook (@FSUBaseball) & Instagram (@NoleBaseball).
