TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Interstat) — A stunning 13-run second inning propelled Florida State to a 22-5 rout of Mercer in a midweek college baseball game Wednesday at Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium, a result that defied a pregame projection of a tight contest.

The game, which saw the Seminoles improve to 10-2 and the Bears fall to 11-2, turned on a disastrous bottom of the second for Mercer. After seizing a 5-0 lead in the top of the first on an RBI double from Tyem Kamaka, the Bears watched their pitching and defense completely unravel.

Florida State sent 17 batters to the plate in the second, scoring 13 runs on just five hits while capitalizing on six walks, three hit batters and a critical error. The inning began with three consecutive free passes before a sacrifice fly from Fisher broke the shutout. After a pitching change, John Stuetzer tied the game with a two-run double. The floodgates opened from there, with three more hit batters forcing in runs. A fielding error by Mercer shortstop Kamaka allowed two more to score before Will Bavaro delivered the crushing blow, a three-run homer to deep left field that capped the historic rally and gave Florida State a commanding 13-5 lead.

Bavaro, the Seminoles’ top star, finished 2 for 3 with the home run and three RBIs, a strong bounce-back after a hitless performance in his previous game. The offensive explosion was more than enough for a parade of Florida State pitchers. Starter Cooper Whited earned the win with three innings of work, allowing one unearned run on five hits. Cole Stokes followed with two scoreless innings, and Ben Barrett struck out two in a scoreless seventh.

Mercer, which entered the game on an eight-game winning streak, managed 11 hits but could not recover from the second-inning deficit. Eli Stephens provided a bright spot for the Bears, going 2 for 2 with a solo home run and two RBIs after entering the game as a substitute.

Florida State continued to add on, scoring four more in the fourth inning highlighted by a three-run homer from Noah Sheffield, who drove in four runs on the day. The Seminoles tacked on five unearned runs in the fifth, aided by two Mercer errors, to reach their final total. Kelvyn Paulino Jr., who entered as a pinch-hitter, contributed two hits and two RBIs.

Mercer relievers Nick Staszak and Wyatt Mummert provided brief stability, each tossing a scoreless inning with a strikeout, but the damage was long since done.

The lopsided result was a stark contrast to the pregame simulation from Interstat, which had projected a narrow 8-7 victory for Mercer. Florida State’s ELO rating gave the Seminoles a 76.1% probability to win, but the margin of victory was unforeseen.

Florida State next hosts Northern Kentucky for a three-game series starting Friday. Mercer returns home to face Alcorn State in a three-game set beginning the same day.