Florida State kept their hopes and dreams of winning this year's College World Series alive by beating the North Carolina Tar Heels 9-5 in today's elimination game. The Seminoles' hitters came to the fore once again to help the No. 8 seed advance in the tournament at the No. 4 seed's expense.
Their victory didn't just excite fans at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, but NCAA baseball fans across the country. Some of them took to social media to express their opinions and let their emotions be known, with many praising the three-time College World Series runners-up's efforts on the field.
"Them boys locked in. They didnt come this far just to come this far. Hope Tennessee is ready," said one fan.
"This CWS just shows FSU should’ve been a top 5 national seed," said another fan.
Another fan added, "As a LSU fan. Thank you FSU."
Some fans took things one step further, mocking the Tar Heels' run till their defeat to the Seminoles today:
One fan said, "Too bad they can’t play em all at Chapel Hill."
Another fan added, "Vance honeycutt can only walk it off so many times."
"Luck finally ran out LSU would smack this team rn," said a fan.
The Seminoles scored their first run in the top of the second when Drew Faurot drove in a run with a single down the middle. They then added two more runs through Jaime Ferrer and Daniel Cantu's single RBIs.
The Tar Heels responded with Casey Cook's double in the bottom of the third to drive in their first run of the game. Both teams then produced an incredible batting display in the fifth inning, scoring four runs each. After five innings, the score was 7-5 in favor of the Seminoles.
Jaxson West and Max Williams took the game out of the Tar Heels' reach in the top of the ninth, scoring solo home runs to make the final score of the game 9-5.
Florida State to face Tennessee next
The next challenge for the Seminoles will come in the form of the Tennessee Volunteers, who narrowly beat them 12-11 in their opening game in Omaha.
The top seed showed once again why they are the team to beat with their convincing 6-1 victory over the Tar Heels on June 16. The game between the Vols and Seminoles is set to take place on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. ET.
Should the Seminoles beat the Volunteers, both teams will play another game on Thursday to decide who will make the College World Series Final. However, if they lose, the Seminoles' season will see their 24th trip to Omaha end without winning the season-ending tournament once again.
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