CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Kai Wagner delivered the decisive blow with a two-out, three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning to lift No. 14 seed Pitt to an 8-6 win over No. 3 seed Florida State in Friday’s Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Championship quarterfinal at Truist Field in Charlotte, North Carolina.
With the victory, Pitt advances to Saturday’s semifinals and will face No. 2 seed North Carolina at 3 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
Wagner powered the Panthers offensively with a pair of home runs, including the game-winning blast in the ninth. The sophomore finished 2-for-4 with four RBIs, three runs scored and a walk. Pitt also got a three-run homer from Trey Fenderson in the opening inning as part of a 2-for-5 night with three RBIs and a run scored.
Pitt’s pitching staff limited Florida State to six runs on eight hits, with the Seminoles doing most of their damage during a four-run fifth inning. David Leslie (4-5) earned the win after tossing the final three innings, allowing no hits while striking out six and walking two.
Right-handed starter Eddie Smink gave the Panthers a strong outing on short rest after pitching Wednesday against Wake Forest. Smink worked 4.0 innings, allowing one run on three hits with three walks and seven strikeouts across 94 pitches.
Florida State was led offensively by Ben Barrett, who launched his first home run of the season — a game-tying grand slam in the fifth inning. Barrett, who began the season as a pitcher, went 2-for-5 with four RBIs, a double and a run scored. John Stuetzer added two hits and two runs scored, while Brody DeLamielleure also collected two hits and an RBI.
Following a rain delay of more than two hours, Pitt capitalized on a shaky opening inning from Florida State. The Seminoles committed two errors and a passed ball that helped plate the game’s first run before Fenderson launched a three-run homer into the second deck in right field to give the Panthers an early 4-0 lead.
Florida State answered in the bottom half of the inning when DeLamielleure lined an RBI single up the middle to trim the deficit to 4-1.
After both starting pitchers settled in through the middle innings, Pitt extended its lead in the fifth when Wagner connected on a solo home run to make it 5-1. The Seminoles responded immediately in the bottom half as Barrett tied the game with a grand slam to center field.
Florida State took its first lead of the night in the eighth inning, scoring on a Pitt fielding error to move in front 6-5 entering the ninth.
But with two outs in the final frame, Wagner launched a three-run homer to right field to put Pitt back on top for good and send the Panthers to the ACC semifinals.