Flowers homers, pitches ninth inning to give Florida State baseball win over NC State

RALEIGH, N.C. – No. 6 Florida State (14-4, 3-3 ACC) won Sunday’s series finale against No. 12 NC State (19-1, 5-1), topping the Wolfpack 7-5 on Doak Field at Dail Park. J.C. Flowers hit his fourth home run of the season for FSU and earned his third save with a scoreless ninth inning. Shane Drohan improved to 2-0, pitching a career-high five innings.

Drohan allowed five walks, but also struck out six and allowed just three hits. Outside of NC State’s run in the third inning, the Wolfpack did not reach second base against Drohan.

FSU struck first for three runs in the second inning, on an RBI single from Mike Salvatore and a two-run double off the bat of Reese Albert. NC State starter Michael Bienlien (2-1) lasted just 1.1 innings, allowing three runs on three hits and four walks.

NC State got one run back in the third inning, with a bunt single, a walk and an RBI double from Patrick Bailey. With the bases loaded and one out, Drohan forced a groundout to third baseman Drew Mendoza, who got the lead runner at the plate, and an inning-ending groundout to Salvatore at second base.

FSU pushed its lead to 6-1 in the fifth inning. Flowers led off with a home run to left field, his fourth of the season, and Nico Baldor doubled off the center field wall, just inches shy of his first career home run. Nander De Sedas doubled to score Baldor, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Mat Nelson’s sacrifice fly.

De Sedas added an RBI single in the sixth inning to extend FSU’s lead to 7-1.

Conor Grady allowed three runs in the sixth inning to trim the lead to 7-4, but Clayton Kwiatkowski limited the damage and recorded seven outs, allowing just one single. Chase Haney came on in the eighth and allowed an RBI double, but Bailey lined out to Albert in right field with the bases loaded.

Flowers earned his third save with a scoreless ninth inning. A leadoff single was erased on a double play and Flowers struck out Brad Debo swinging to end the game.