ACC Tournament Semifinals Recap: Florida State and Duke Advance

Photo Courtesy of ACC

Game 1 Florida State Vs Wake- FSU Uses Strong Defense to Down Wake

Florida State beat Wake Forest 9-6 to advance to the ACC finals on Saturday, May 25 at Truist Field in Charlotte, N.C..

Wake Forest had to rebound from an emotional 9-5 win against North Carolina on Friday, May 24. They didn’t look quite as sharp, and Florida State beat them 9-6 to advance to ACC Finals.

Wake Forest left-handed starter Josh Hartle is the 55^th-ranked draft prospect on MLB Pipeline.

Drew Tibbs III is the ACC player of the year. He got robbed of a hit by Wake Forest left fielder Javar Williams with runners on first and second. Williams also made another diving catch later in the game.

Hurtle threw 5.1 innings. He gave up six runs, five of which were earned, and struck out six batters.

Florida State tacked on two more runs in the sixth, with a home run from Max Williams.

Florida State added two runs in the seventh with a bunt single from Jaxson West and a fielder’s choice from Williams. That was Williams’ fourth RBI of the day.

 

Game 2 Miami vs Duke- Duke Dismantles Miami in the Eighth 

Miami left-handed pitcher Herick Hernández had a special performance against Duke, but the Hurricanes’ bullpen let them down in an 8-2 loss in Charlotte. N.C. at Truist Field.

Hernández’s previous start this season against Duke also went well. On April 7, he pitched six innings of one-run ball with ten strikeouts.

Hernández’s ERA was 6.47 entering the semi-finals matchup against Duke. His strikeout stuff has been there all season, with 86 punchouts in 65.1 innings. He topped out at around 93 MPH against Duke in the tournament.

Hernández had a no-hitter through four innings with nine strikeouts. Hernández had Duke off balance early.

Hernández gave up his first hit in the fifth to Duke center fielder Chase Krewson. Hernández surrendered his first run on a bases-loaded walk to second baseman Zac Morris.

Miami freshman third baseman Daniel Cuvet broke the freshman home run record with his 24th home run in the fourth. It was an opposite-field shot to right field that gave the Hurricanes a 2-0 lead against Duke starting pitcher Ryan Higgins.

Miami first baseman JP Urso made an incredible sliding catch against the Hurricanes dugout to get them out of the fifth with the 2-1 lead still intact.

Cuvet continues to have an impressive season; that was his third home run of the tournament.

Duke got their second run on a sacrifice fly from pinch hitter Jimmy Evans in the seventh to tie the game.

Duke exploded for six runs in the eighth to break open the game and take an 8-2 lead.

Duke got a two-run home run from catcher Alex Stone against Miami reliever Alex Caba to go ahead 4-2.

Later in the inning, left fielder Devin Obee hit a monster home run over the scoreboard in left-center that was 455 feet and 111 MPH. This was against Miami relief pitcher Brandon Olivera and extended the lead to 6-2.

They added two more runs on an error from Cauvet and an RBI single from third baseman Ben Miller.

Duke righty Charlie Beilenson is nasty out of the Duke bullpen. He closed the game against Miami. He pitched 2.1 scoreless innings with three strikeouts and got the win.

His season stats are 58 innings, 87 strikeouts, 12 saves, and an ERA of 2.02.

“I couldn’t be more proud or more happy for these guys to get to the championship,”  Beilenson told World Baseball Network. “This is a dream of ours that we’ve been talking about since the beginning of the season and I know we are going to tear it up tomorrow.”

Florida State will play against Duke at noon for the ACC Championship on Sunday, May 26.

You can watch on the ACCN and ESPN2.