TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Kyle McGowin got a bitter first taste of college baseball’s big stage.
Savannah State had hoped that McGowin, the Tigers’ ace right-hander, could potentially be an equalizer in its first-ever NCAA tournament game, a matchup with No. 7 Florida State in the first round of the Tallahassee Regional.
Instead, the Seminoles made quick work of the MEAC pitcher of the year, touching him up for 10 runs in the game’s first three innings en route to a 10-0 victory in front of 3,804 fans Friday at Dick Howser Stadium.
SSU (33-22) will play Alabama in an elimination game today at noon.
“(FSU) coach (Mike) Martin and his team are very patient at the plate,” Tigers coach Carlton Hardy said. “They work the count and when they got a good pitch to hit, they put a good swing on it. But we competed. I’m very proud of our kids.”
McGowin came into the game with a 12-1 record and a 1.33 earned-run average — a number that inflated to 2.02 by the time the final out was recorded.
In fact, the Sag Harbor, N.Y., native had allowed only 17 earned runs all season. The 10 he surrendered Friday spiked that number to 27 — meaning that 37 percent of his season total came in his last outing.
McGowin, who was pulled after five innings and 132 pitches, credited FSU with drawing deep pitch counts and laying off pitches outside the strike zone. He struck out six Seminoles but also walked another six.
“I didn’t have my fastball at all today so I had to go a lot to my secondary (pitches), and they were just waiting for the fastball or anything in the zone,” McGowin said. “They were not chasing. They’re a great hitting team.”
McGowin limited FSU to a single run in the first inning but couldn’t keep the Seminoles’ offense at bay in the second. He actually recorded two outs and then had two strikes on lead-off hitter Josh Delph before hitting Delph with a pitch that extended the inning.
The Seminoles’ Nos. 2-4 hitters then each produced scoring hits, a stretch punctuated by Stephen McGee’s two-run home run that made it 6-0.
McGowin, though, didn’t get any help from the Tigers’ offense. Savannah State registered just seven hits on FSU starter Scott Sitz (10-1, 1.59 ERA) and were shut out for only the second time this season.
SSU’s best threat came in the top of the third when Kevin Herlihy was hit by a pitch, and Mendez Elder hit a double to right-center field that gave the Tigers two runners in scoring position with only one out.
But rather than put a dent in FSU’s lead, Joseph McCrary struck out and Parker Nix lined out to right field to end the inning.
“Give Sitz a lot of credit,” Hardy said. “When guys got on base in scoring position, he just got tougher. He made money pitches.”
NCAA TALLAHASSEE REGIONAL
Friday’s Results
Troy 5, Alabama 2
FSU 10, Savannah State 0
Today’s Games
Alabama vs. SSU, noon
Troy vs. Florida State, 5 p.m.