May 30, 2003

Box Score

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida State left-hander Matt Lynch tossed a three-hit complete game shutout and struck out eight as the top-ranked Seminoles sent JU to the loser's bracket with a 6-0 victory in the first round of the NCAA Regional Friday night at Dick Howser Stadium. The Dolphins will face Rutgers in an elimination game on Saturday at 11 a.m.

Senior designated hitter Chad Hauseman (Pottstown, Pa.) and junior third baseman Orlando Diaz (Downers Grove, Ill.) each had a double, while junior centerfielder Larry Best-Berfet (Newark, N.J.) had a single in the ninth for the Dolphins (32-29).

FSU (51-10-1) jumped out to an early lead with a leadoff double by shortstop Bryan Zech and an RBI double by catcher Tony Richie in the first. The Seminoles picked up an unearned run in the second as third baseman Chris Hart singled to lead off the inning and went to second on a passed ball. Hart went to third on a groundout and scored on a sacrifice bunt by centerfielder Matt Sauls.

Zech led off the third with a bunt single and went to second on a single by Richie. First baseman Jerrod Brown then slapped a two-out RBI single to left to give the Seminoles a 3-0 lead. FSU broke the game open with a three-run, two out rally in the fifth. Richie singled through the right side, then scored on a double down the right-field line by Blake Balkcom. Brown followed by knocking senior righty Darren Truty (Marengo, Ill.) out of the game with a towering two-run home run down the right-field line to put the Seminoles up 6-0. Lynch, who improved to 13-3, cruised through the Dolphin lineup after surrendering a two-out double to Hauseman in the first. Lynch then retired 21-straight batters before giving up a two-out double to Diaz in the eighth.

Truty (6-6) allowed six runs, five earned, on nine hits and struck out three in 4.2 innings. His three strikeouts moved him into seventh on JU's all-time strikeout list.

JU returns to action in the loser's bracket game against Rutgers, which lost to South Alabama, 14-1, on Saturday at 11 a.m. South Alabama will face FSU in the winners' bracket at 3 p.m. The winner of the 11 a.m. game will face the loser of the 3 p.m. game at 7 p.m. Saturday night. All of the Dolphin postseason games can be heard live on ESPN 1460 AM or followed on judolphins.com using OCSN's Gametracker.