In a dramatic turn of events at the ACC Tournament, Florida State's baseball squad squandered a 6-5 lead in the ninth inning, falling 8-6 to the University of Pittsburgh.
A Ninth-Inning Collapse
Pitt jumped out to a 4-0 advantage in the first inning, highlighted by Trey Fenderson's third tournament homer, but the Seminoles rallied, erasing the deficit and taking a 6-5 edge after eight frames.
The comeback was fueled by a game‑tying grand slam from Ben Barrett in the fifth, his first homer of 2026, and a solo shot from Kai Wagner in the fifth that added another run for Pitt.
Pitching was a key storyline. Pitt's Eddie Smink limited FSU to a single run over four innings, throwing 94 pitches, while Florida State reliever Chris Knier delivered a 1-2-3 eighth inning with two strikeouts, preserving the lead.
Late‑Game Drama
The tension peaked in the eighth when John Stuetzer led off with a leadoff hit by pitch, only to see the go‑ahead run score after a botched grounder by second baseman Brodie Purcell on Ben Barrett's bat.
In the ninth, Pitt turned to right‑hander David Leslie, who had thrown 103 pitches earlier in the week, and he shut down the Seminoles, striking out two batters to finish the game.
Kai Wagner capped the comeback with a two‑out, two‑strike, three‑run homer over the right‑field wall, turning a 6‑5 deficit into an 8‑6 victory and sending Pitt to the semifinals.
The loss marked Florida State's first defeat of the season when leading after seven innings, underscoring the volatility of late‑game execution.