Link Jarrett made it clear that he needs more from his starting rotation than Florida State got last weekend vs. Wake Forest.
Both Joey Volini and Jamie Arnold rose to that occasion in a big way in Saturday's doubleheader at Virginia Tech.
The pair combined to allow two earned runs on 14 innings Saturday vs. the Hokies. This just a week after the three FSU starting pitchers combined to throw just 11.1 innings and allowed 14 earned runs in the series loss vs. Wake Forest.
While it wasn't the most productive day from the FSU offense for much of the doubleheader, those pitching performances led the way to No. 9 FSU (27-7, 10-4 in ACC) snapping its three-game losing streak and sweeping the doubleheader vs. the Hokies (23-12, 9-8) at English Field in Blacksburg, Va.
FSU won Game 1 3-1 behind seven excellent innings from Volini and took Game 2 12-1 behind a strong Arnold start and a late offensive surge.
FSU's pitching staff combined to limit a VT offense which was averaging 7.6 runs per game in ACC play to two total runs over 18 innings Saturday, sweeping a Hokies team that was 6-1 in games against ranked opponents entering the doubleheader.
Game 1
After Friday's game was postponed to Saturday, the Seminoles elected to slightly modify their pitching rotation.
FSU used its typical Saturday starter Volini in Game 1 of the doubleheader, saving Friday starter Arnold for the nightcap.
On its face, there was a bit of risk in this move. While Volini has been excellent for the Seminoles and won each of his first seven starts, he's coming off his first bad start of the season, allowing seven runs on seven hits in 2.1 innings last week vs. Wake Forest.
However, the redshirt junior lefty paid off FSU's faith in him, bouncing back in a major way Saturday at VT. Facing a Hokies offense which had scored eight or more runs in seven ACC games, Volini allowed just one run on two hits over seven innings. It's the fourth time in his last six starts he's thrown seven-plus innings.
Volini struggled some with walks, issuing four walks over his outing, including three leadoff walks. However, the Hokies were just 2 for 9 (.222) with runners on base against Volini. He used two double plays and five strikeouts to work out of danger when he encountered it, winning his eighth game of the season and lowering his ERA to 2.39.
Joe Charles picked it up from there, using a double play to face the minimum number of batters in the eighth and then stranding two runners on base and the winning run at the plate with a flyout and a popout to secure his first save of the season.
Volini and Charles combined to hold the Hokies to one run on four hits over nine innings. VT put at least one runner on base in five of its nine innings, but was hitless in five at-bats with runners in scoring position and 3 for 13 (.231) with runners on base against the FSU pitchers.
It's a good thing that pitching pair was on its game to begin the doubleheader as FSU's offense once again squandered quite a few scoring opportunities in Game 1 vs. the Hokies.
Only one of the Seminoles' three runs in the game came on a hit. FSU opened the scoring on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch of Nathan Cmeyla and added its third run on a wild pitch. Alex Lodise had what became the game-winning hit when he singled in the fifth inning to bring home Gage Harrelson, who had led off the inning with a double.
FSU was 1 for 11 (.091) with runners in scoring position in Saturday's first game, stranding nine runners and striking out 13 times while ...
