JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Interstat) — The Florida State Seminoles broke open a scoreless game with a three-run fourth inning and then delivered a decisive blow with a six-run sixth, cruising to a 13-3 victory over the Jacksonville Dolphins in non-conference baseball Tuesday night at John Sessions Stadium.

The win kept Florida State (3-0) perfect on the young season, while Jacksonville (4-1) suffered its first loss after a dominant opening weekend sweep of Rhode Island.

For four innings, the game was a tight pitchers’ duel. Florida State starter Ben Manca and Jacksonville’s Blake Baker-Livingston traded zeroes, with the Dolphins stranding two runners in the first and the Seminoles unable to capitalize on early opportunities.

The stalemate ended in the top of the fourth. Myles Bailey and Cal Fisher singled, and Hunter Carns loaded the bases with another single. Chase Williams then reached on an error by Jacksonville first baseman Aidan Ogbourne, allowing Bailey to score the game’s first run. Brody DeLamielleure followed with a groundout to drive in Carns, and James Fraser capped the rally with an RBI single to plate Williams, who had reached on the error.

The most important sequence of the game unfolded in the top of the sixth, transforming a 3-0 contest into a rout. Williams led off with a walk, stole second and third, and scored on a passed ball. After two more walks loaded the bases, Brayden Dowd delivered the key hit, a two-run single to center field. Noah Sheffield followed with an RBI single, and after another walk reloaded the bases, Fisher and Williams drew back-to-back RBI walks to force in two more runs. By the time the inning ended, Florida State had sent 12 men to the plate, scoring six runs on just three hits while taking advantage of three walks, a hit batter, a passed ball and a Jacksonville error.

Jacksonville’s only offense came in the bottom of the sixth against Seminoles reliever Connor Nard. Justin Shields and Ronaldo Vergara singled, and cleanup hitter Donny Bermudez connected for a three-run homer to left field, briefly cutting the deficit to 9-3.

Florida State responded immediately, adding two runs in the seventh on an RBI single by Bailey and a run-scoring error, and another in the eighth on an RBI single by pinch-hitter Gavin Estes.

Dowd led the Seminoles’ 11-hit attack, going 2-for-5 with a walk, two RBIs and two runs scored. Sheffield was 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI and two runs. Bailey walked three times, scored three runs and drove in one. Fisher drove in two runs, and Williams scored three times despite not recording a hit, reaching on two errors and a walk.

Bermudez provided all of Jacksonville’s scoring with his three-run blast, part of a 2-for-4 night. Shields also had two of the Dolphins’ eight hits.

Manca earned the win, tossing three scoreless innings with two hits allowed and four strikeouts. Baker-Livingston took the loss for Jacksonville, surrendering three runs, two earned, on four hits over 3 2/3 innings. The Dolphins used six pitchers, who combined to issue 11 walks.

Florida State, which entered the game with a 75.9% win probability according to Interstat’s ELO system, will continue its early-season tournament schedule Friday against Michigan in Arlington, Texas. Jacksonville hosts Long Island for a four-game series beginning Friday. The two teams are scheduled to meet again in Tallahassee on March 3.