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Four runs late, walk-off stun FSU baseball in 2024 College World Series opener

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Four runs late, walk-off stun FSU baseball in 2024 College World Series opener

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No. 8 Florida State baseball had the game on the tip of its fingers but watched it slip away in its 2024 College World Series opener.

Top-ranked Tennessee stunned FSU with a 12-11 walk-off victory Friday night at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska.

The Volunteers advanced into the winners’ bracket of the eight-team, double-elimination tournament against North Carolina Sunday at 7 p.m.

To stay alive, FSU must beat Virginia in an elimination game Sunday at 2 p.m.

The Seminoles twice were a strike away from beating the Vols, who rallied for four runs in the bottom of the ninth.

Dylan Dreiling RBI single to left-center field with two outs clinched the game.

The Vols ended the game with four consecutive two-out hits.

Tennessee’s Christian Moore set the Volunteers up in position to win with a two-strike, two-out double into the left-field corner. Moore went 5 of 6 and hit for the cycle (single, double, triple and home run). It is the second cycle in CWS history.

That brought up Blake Burke, who delivered the tying single up the middle. This came after third-base umpire Shawn Rakos signaled Burke checked his swing on a pitch with two strikes.

Burke moved to second on Billy Amick’s single. Dreiling followed and drove in the winning run on the second pitch from Connor Hults on a drive into left-center field.

While neither side played cleanly the entire game, with five errors combined, the offenses made up for it with 31 total hits.

FSU was on the board first, following a wild pitch that would lead to a Max William score. Tennesee would take four runs in the first two innings. Two of them were unearned due to errors.

Tennessee went deep to its bullpen after starting pitcher Chris Stamos only lasted 0.1. Six pitchers took the field the whole game.

FSU made an early comeback after trailing 4-1 by orchestrating six runs in the top third. Jaime Ferrer gave FSU a comfortable 9-4 lead after hitting a two-run homer in the fourth inning.

After two scoreless innings, Tennessee rebuilt its momentum with two home runs by Kavares Tears and Moore.

Marco Dinges’ RBI double gave FSU a needed four-run lead. Dinges led the Seminoles with three hits. Ferrer led with four RBI.

Jamie Arnold didn’t have his best night. In five innings, he allowed eight hits, six runs, four walks and a throwing error. Conner Whittaker took over in the sixth inning as the relief pitcher.

Whittaker threw 71 pitches in 3.1 innings, the most he has thrown since returning from his injury. Brennan Oxford took over but was relieved by Conner Hults, who surrendered the game-winning hit.

Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol

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