The first four innings of Friday’s College World Series game were up-and-down for both Florida State and Tennessee. Both teams committed some defensive miscues, but it was the Seminoles who took a 9-4 lead into the bottom of the fourth inning.
It wasn’t pretty, to say the least, and Link Jarrett knew it. However, he pointed out his team’s ability to bounce back as a reason he was proud of the start to the weekend in Omaha.
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“I think it reflects our season, in a way,” Jarrett told Kris Budden about the first few innings. “The response to what was clearly not good baseball for a few innings, outstanding response. The at-bats off a variety of arms – they’re gonna continue to run a variety of arms at us. I thought the response to some bad defensive plays, incredible response by the group. I’m proud.
“Now, we’ve got to get Jamie [Arnold] settled down. The double play to get him out of the last inning was a nice breathing moment for him to try to get off the field and conserve. Now, he needs to settle in and go with it.”
Link Jarrett: Jamie Arnold found command in 3rd inning
Through his first three innings of work, Arnold allowed five hits and four runs – only two earned. But he started to get more comfortable in the third inning, and in the fourth, got himself out of a bases loaded jam with two outs.
Jarrett said Arnold appeared to settle in during the third inning, and part of the credit goes to pitching coach Micah Posey for the message to FSU’s starter. The key the rest of the way will be sustaining that success.
“I think he looked like he was more in command of his stuff in the last half [of the third inning],” Jarrett said. “He was not getting the slider where he was trying to get it early in the game, and I think he found it. He got to the change-up, which is a nice job by Micah of trying to find that third pitch for him, and he’s starting to get that fastball in on the righties.
“Those are all good signs. We just have to continue it.”
Florida State put together a monster performance in the third inning of Friday’s game, scoring six runs as the Seminoles capitalized on some Tennessee defensive lapses. They extended the advantage in the fourth on a two-run home run from Jaime Ferrer to make it a five-run lead.
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