In a thrilling display of resilience, the No. 12 Florida State Seminoles rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Jacksonville Dolphins 5-2 on Tuesday night at Dick Howser Stadium. The victory completed a season sweep of the Dolphins and improved FSU's record to 34-14, showcasing the team's never-say-die attitude.
The Dolphins struck first in the second inning, capitalizing on a wild pitch from starter Cade O'Leary and a two-out single to build their lead. O'Leary managed to limit the damage by ending the inning with a strikeout, stranding a runner in scoring position. The Seminoles' offense, however, struggled early, loading the bases in the fourth but failing to score when Carter McCulley grounded into a fielder's choice.
The comeback began in the fifth inning when John Stuetzer launched a leadoff home run, igniting the FSU dugout. Brayden Dowd followed with a single, and after Brody DeLamielleure was hit by a pitch, Hunter Carns loaded the bases with a single. Nathan Cmeyla tied the game with a sacrifice fly, but two strikeouts ended the inning with the score knotted at 2-2.
Cmeyla once again proved clutch in the seventh, driving in DeLamielleure with a single to give FSU its first lead of the game at 3-2. Dowd provided insurance in the eighth with a two-run homer, extending the lead to 5-2 and sealing the win. Dowd and DeLamielleure each finished with three hits, leading a 10-hit attack that also included five walks. Despite leaving 10 runners on base, the Seminoles went 4-for-17 with runners on and 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
On the mound, Cole Stokes earned the win, while Kevin Mebil recorded his first save of the season as FSU used five pitchers in a combined effort. The staff held Jacksonville to just four hits, issuing five walks and striking out 14 batters, a dominant performance that kept the Dolphins off balance all night.
With the momentum of this comeback win, the Seminoles now hit the road for a crucial three-game series against the Clemson Tigers, starting Friday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+. This is a team that knows how to fight back, and fans will be eager to see if they can carry that energy into ACC play.