DJ Stewart drove in the go-ahead runs with a two-run single in the eighth inning as Florida State rallied to defeat Georgia Tech 8-6 on Sunday in Tallahassee to win the rubber game of the series.
The Seminoles (22-2, 7-2 ACC), ranked No. 12 in the nation by Baseball America, erased a four-run deficit by scoring twice in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. FSU won the final two games of the series after losing the opener.
The single by Stewart, a freshman designated hitter, gave FSU its first lead of the game against the No. 9 Yellow Jackets (18-5, 6-3). Stewart finished 2-for-4 with two singles, two RBIs, a walk and a stolen base.
Jonathan King (0-1) entered the game for Georgia Tech with one out in the eighth and allowed the first three batters he faced to reach. Josh Delph drew a walk, Marcus Davis followed with a single, and Stewart then hit a single up the middle.
“I was just trying to hit the ball hard,” Stewart said.
FSU’s Seth Miller went 2-for-2 with a walk, a sacrifice fly and three RBIs. His two-out, two-run double in the seventh tied the game at 6.
Seminoles starter Peter Miller lasted just 1 1/3 innings, giving up five runs, four of them earned. Relievers Bryant Holtmann, Jameis Winston, Brandon Johnson, Gage Smith and Robby Coles kept FSU in the game. They combined to allow one run and four hits in 7 2/3 innings.
Coles (1-0) worked a perfect final 1 2/3 innings to earn the win.
Florida State will next face Florida at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Jacksonville.
No. 2 Vanderbilt 5, Florida 4: John Norwood's two-out, pinch-hit RBI single in the seventh inning lifted the host Commodores (21-4, 5-1 SEC) over the Gators (11-14, 2-4) in a game that was shortened to seven innings because of UF's travel plans.
Taylor Gushue and Justin Shafer hit solo homers for the Gators, who dropped the final two games of the three-game series.
No. 24 Virginia Tech 8, Miami 5 (10): The visiting Hokies (18-7, 5-4 ACC) scored three runs off reliever AJ Salcines in the 10th to beat the Hurricanes (19-8, 4-5) in the series finale and avoid a three-game sweep.
Andrew Rash hit a two-run double in the 10th for Virginia Tech, and the Hokies scored another run on an error by Hurricanes third baseman Esteban Tresgallo. UM committed five errors in all.
Florida Atlantic 3, Arkansas State 2: Freshman Brendon Sanger's two-out single in the eighth inning drove in what proved to be the winning run as the visiting Owls (15-9, 4-2 Sun Belt) defeated the Red Wolves (16-9, 4-2). FAU won the last two games of the three-game series.
Central Florida 12, Alabama-Birmingham 10 (10): Parker Webster hit an RBI double in the 10th and Bo Decker added a sacrifice fly in that inning as the Knights (17-9, 3-0) beat the host Blazers (9-14, 0-3) and swept the series. Decker was 2-for-5 with four RBIs.
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