Alex Lodise's cycle, walk-off homer lift No. 4 FSU past rival Florida

JACKSONVILLE -- Baseball players dream of having the type of game Alex Lodise had Tuesday night.

The Florida State shortstop was a homer short of a cycle entering the ninth inning. But it didn't seem he was going to get a chance to finish the cycle as FSU took a 3-2 lead into the ninth inning.

As fate would have it, a pair of two-out runs from Florida gave the Gators the lead and Lodise the opportunity.

He did not miss it.

After the first four batters of the FSU ninth reached to tie the game at 4-4, Lodise crushed the first pitch he saw over the right-field fence for a walk-off grand slam to complete the cycle.

"I knew as soon as I hit it. I turned to the dugout and just it all out right as I hit it..." Lodise said. "I blacked out rounding first base. I was yelling, I'm going to lose my voice tomorrow, probably...It was one of the best feelings I've ever had."

HOLY LODI🎉 pic.twitter.com/dlc72ZK07G
— FSU Baseball (@FSUBaseball) March 26, 2025

Lodise's heroics lifted No. 4 FSU (21-3) to an 8-4 win over the Gators (18-9) at VyStar Ballpark. leveling the series at a win apiece.

The rubber match is set for two weeks from now, Tuesday, April 8, in Gainesville.

"Casual 8-4 Tuesday night game," FSU head coach Link Jarrett quipped.

Playing near his hometown of St. Augustine, Lodise finished the win 4 for 5 with four RBI and two runs, raising his batting average to .471.

It was his ninth three-hit game and third four-hit game of the season. With one game-winning swing, he became the first FSU player to hit for the cycle since Mike Salvatore in 2019 and the first to hit a walk-off homer since Jaime Ferrer in 2022.

He said after the game it was his first career cycle and estimated that he had approximately 30 family members and friends in attendance to watch Tuesday's game.

"I have an insane amount of confidence. I think that's something I took into this year," Lodise said. "I know I can do it. I know I'm a good player and can hit with the best of them. I think it's really starting to settle in with me that I can go face anyone any day and feel confident in myself."

Lodise's incredible walk-off took attention away from what was nearly a complete-game one-hitter for the Seminole pitching staff.

A week after eight FSU pitchers combined to allow nine runs on 10 hits and eight walks in a midweek loss to Mercer, four FSU pitchers combined to allow just four runs on three hits over nine innings.

Were it not for back-to-back singles in the top of the ninth when Florida was down to its last out, FSU would have won 3-2 and allowed just one hit.

"It's great. I thought that everybody who went out there for us really managed what they were doing really well..." Jarrett said of his pitching staff."

John Abraham got the start and allowed one run over 2.2 innings, setting down his first five batters before the Gators got him for a run on a single, stolen base and a pair of wild pitches.

Joe Charles picked it up from there, escaping a jam in the third and retiring the first eight batters he faced before loading the bases in the sixth on a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch.

While Florida plated one run to cut the FSU lead to 3-2 on a walk from Chris Knier, Knier stranded the bases loaded with a flyout to the warning track and that started a span of him setting down seven straight batters.

Knier issued a leadoff walk to start the ninth inning and then got two straight flyouts to center before allowing the double which tied the game.

Hudson Rowan allowed the go-ahead single but then got a strikeout and earned his first career win after the walk-off homer.

Before the ninth inning, it wasn't a stellar day at the plate for FSU. The Seminoles managed just three runs on five hits over the first eight innings, striking out 14 times.

Earlier in the game, FSU left fielder Brody DeLamielleure broke a 1-1 deadlock in the fourth inning with a two-run homer to right field. It was the redshirt freshman's third homer of the season, two of which have now come in two games in his hometown of Jacksonville.

Up Next

FSU closes out this seven-game road trip this weekend at Notre Dame. Game 1 of the series is set for 4:30 p.m. on Friday. It hasn't been announced yet how FSU will align its rotation as it moves back to a traditional weekend schedule.

Topics

No. 4 FSU baseball secures second ACC series victory behind 7 run inning against Miami

No. 4 Florida State baseball earned a second ACC series win with a 10-6 win over rival Miami on Saturday. Gage Harrelson and Max Williams had 3 RBI each.
Yahoo Sports - 3d
No. 4 FSU baseball's comeback efforts fall short as Miami ties rivalry series with win

No. 4 Florida State baseball failed to convert on scoring opportunities Friday night, falling to Miami 9-6 to even the rivalry series at one win each.
Yahoo Sports - 4d
Jax State baseball: Blauser, Majette deliver the big blows in Sunday win

Cooper Blauser delivered a game-tying homer in the ninth inning, and freshman Trey Majette singled home the winning run in the 10th as Jacksonville State beat Southeast Missouri 5-4 on Sunday ...
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 16
No. 4 FSU baseball looks to even season series vs. UF in Jacksonville

FSU and Florida will both be making changes on the mound in the second rivalry matchup of the season Tuesday night.
Yahoo Sports - 1d
No. 5 FSU baseball crushes Miami for run-rule win in rivalry opener

FSU smashed six homers and ran away with a 14-1 win over rival Miami in the series opener Thursday night.
Yahoo Sports - 5d
FSU legacy, three-star OT Michael Ionata commits to Florida State

Florida State's offensive line class for the 2026 cycle just got a little bit bigger. Michael is the son of former Florida State offensive lineman Joe Ionata, who played for the Seminoles in the ...
Yahoo Sports - 3d
Florida Gators baseball falls to 0-4 in SEC play with heartbreaking loss to Georgia

It felt like neither team wanted to win this one for most of the night, as Florida came up short in Game 1 of a three-game set against rival Georgia.
Yahoo Sports - 4d
No. 4 FSU baseball sweeps ACC opener against Boston College with doubleheader victory

Florida State baseball completed a sweep of Boston College with a pair of wins in a doubleheader on Saturday, hitting five home runs in two games.
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 15
Ethan Frey homers to give LSU baseball run rule victory

LSU baseball kept its win streak alive with a run-rule victory. Here's a recap of Tuesday's action at Alex Box Stadium.
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 19

Alex Lodise's cycle, walk-off homer lift No. 4 FSU past rival Florida

Up Next

Topics

Related

No. 4 FSU baseball secures second ACC series victory behind 7 run inning against Miami

No. 4 FSU baseball's comeback efforts fall short as Miami ties rivalry series with win

Jax State baseball: Blauser, Majette deliver the big blows in Sunday win

No. 4 FSU baseball looks to even season series vs. UF in Jacksonville

No. 5 FSU baseball crushes Miami for run-rule win in rivalry opener

FSU legacy, three-star OT Michael Ionata commits to Florida State

Florida Gators baseball falls to 0-4 in SEC play with heartbreaking loss to Georgia

No. 4 FSU baseball sweeps ACC opener against Boston College with doubleheader victory

Ethan Frey homers to give LSU baseball run rule victory

More from Yahoo Sports

2025 Fantasy Baseball predictions for the National League

2025 Fantasy Baseball predictions for the National League

March Madness: USA TODAY Sports predictions for Florida Gators in Sweet 16 and beyond

March Madness: USA TODAY Sports predictions for Florida Gators in Sweet 16 and beyond

Browns: What remaining options are left to fill out quarterback room?

More in Sports

2025 NCAA Tournament scores, schedule: March Madness bracket, Sweet 16, game dates, tip times, TV channels

2025 NCAA Tournament scores, schedule: March Madness bracket, Sweet 16, game dates, tip times, TV channels

Source: Madrid eye move for Spain starlet Huijsen

Season preview: Ranking all 30 teams as baseball returns

MLB predictions: From playoffs and World Series to MVPs and Cy Youngs