TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Amidst a two-hour weather delay, No. 9 national seed Florida State used three home runs to hold off upset-minded Bethune-Cookman 6-2 in the opening game of the NCAA Tallahassee [Fla.] Regional Friday afternoon at Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium.
 
Bethune-Cookman (37-22) leaned on sophomore right-hander Joel Core in the game on both ends of a lengthy weather delay. Head Coach Jonathan Hernandez, the 2025 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Coach of the Year, sided with his pitcher after the delay.
 
"[Joel] Core wanted the ball, and he was adamant about going back after the delay," expressed Hernandez. "I trust my student-athletes, and if he says he's good to go and wants the ball, then I am going to let him have it. After all, they're the ones putting their bodies on the line, and he wanted the ball back, no questions asked."
 
Florida State (39-14), ranked No. 7 in the latest D1Baseball.com top 25 poll, opened the scoring in the home-half of the first with Max Williams' solo home run to right center field, pushing the Seminoles to an early 1-0 advantage. The Seminoles doubled the lead in the bottom of the second with another solo shot to right center, this time off the bat of Chase Williams – the first of the year for the left fielder.
 
B-CU tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the third when first baseman Jorge Rodriguez lined a two-run single to left field driving across Sergio Rivera and Daniel Figueroa, after each singled in their respective at-bats to begin the inning.
 
Just one pitch into the bottom of the third, the game entered a weather delay that lasted just over two hours.
 
The Seminoles stepped back in front quickly following the rain delay, as Core returned to the mound for the Maroon and Gold. After Max Williams walked to begin the at-bat, Myles Bailey delivered a two-run homer to right center that propelled the Noles in front for good, 4-2.
 
FSU added a run with an RBI groundout from James Hankerson Jr. to Rodriguez at first but allowed Drew Faurot to score from third and advance the Noles lead, 5-2.
 
The final run of the game came off a wild pitch from B-CU reliever Pablo Torres in the eighth as Bailey scampered in to record the final 6-2 score line.
 
In the top of the ninth, the Wildcats received two-out singles from both Rivera and Figueroa once again to put runners on against FSU reliever John Abraham, before the right-hander got Darryl Lee to strike out and close the contest.
 
"I'm proud of how our guys fought today," said Hernandez afterwards. "I thought they represented themselves, as well as Bethune-Cookman University, well against one of the best teams, by far, in this tournament and the nation in the Noles. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough because you have to take advantage of every single opportunity when you play a team like FSU, and you have to hope the little things go your way as well.
 
Peyton Prescott (4-0) grabbed the win, as he took the ball for the Seminoles after the delay. He pitched 2.2 innings in relief, allowing just two hits and striking out four. The loss went to Core (6-2) as he tossed seven frames, giving up six runs on six hits and fanning seven batters. Torres went one inning out of the bullpen and allowed just one walk while also collecting a strikeout.
 
FSU starter Joey Volini did not factor into the decision despite the left-hander being touched for two runs on five hits and a pair of strikeouts in three innings before the delay.
 
The FSU bats were paced by Bailey's 2-for-2 day with two runs scored and two RBIs, in addition to Chase Williams registering a 2-for-4 afternoon with an RFBI and a run scored as well.
 
The B-CU offense out-hit the host Seminoles, collecting 10 hits on the day. The bats were led by four different Wildcats with two hits each – Lee, Jorge Rodriguez, Rivera and Figueroa.
 
The Wildcats will face Northeastern – the No. 2 seed in the Tallahassee Regional, in an elimination game on Saturday at 1 p.m., back at Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium, after the Huskies fell in their opening game to Mississippi State.
 
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