TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Interstat) — Powered by a relentless offensive attack and a dominant start from Trey Beard, the Florida State Seminoles cruised to a 13-3 victory over the Northern Kentucky Norse on Saturday evening at Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium.

The game, which began in the afternoon and concluded under the lights, saw the Seminoles improve to 12-2, while Northern Kentucky fell to 7-6.

Florida State’s offense wasted no time erasing an early deficit. After Northern Kentucky’s Josh Williams launched a solo home run to deep right field in the top of the second inning to briefly give the Norse a 3-0 lead, the Seminoles responded immediately in their half of the frame. Noah Sheffield drove in the first run with a single, and Myles Bailey followed with a two-run blast to right-center to tie the game.

The Seminoles broke the game open in a chaotic bottom of the second inning, sending nine batters to the plate and scoring three more runs. Sheffield delivered another RBI single, Kelvyn Paulino Jr. knocked in a run with an infield single, and a double steal culminated with Sheffield swiping home to extend the lead to 6-3.

The most decisive sequence came in the bottom of the fifth inning. With the bases loaded and no outs, second baseman Eli Putnam crushed a grand slam over the center field wall, turning a 6-3 contest into a 10-3 rout and effectively sealing the outcome.

Florida State added insurance runs in the seventh on a two-run double by Sheffield and an RBI single from Bailey. Sheffield finished 3 for 5 with four RBIs, while Bailey was a perfect 2 for 2 with a home run, three RBIs and three walks. Putnam’s grand slam accounted for his four RBIs.

The offensive support was more than enough for Beard, who earned the win with a commanding five-inning performance. The right-hander allowed just two hits and one earned run while striking out seven, effectively quieting the Norse bats after the early home run. His outing continued a stellar stretch, following a five-inning, two-hit shutout performance against The Citadel on Feb. 28.

Northern Kentucky’s pitching struggled with control, issuing 10 walks and hitting three batters. Starter EJ Miramontes took the loss, surrendering seven earned runs over four-plus innings. Reliever Tannis Lange provided a bright spot with 2 1/3 hitless innings of relief, striking out two.

The Norse managed only five hits total. Sam Bond provided a late spark as a pinch-hitter, connecting for a two-run homer in the sixth inning to account for Northern Kentucky’s final runs.

The victory gave Florida State a series win after taking the opener 7-3 on Friday. The teams are scheduled to conclude the three-game set on Sunday.

Based on the provided play descriptions, the most important part of the game was the bottom of the fifth inning. With Florida State holding a 6-3 lead, Northern Kentucky’s pitching change failed to stem the tide. After loading the bases with no outs, Eli Putnam’s grand slam was the definitive knockout blow, transforming a manageable three-run deficit into a commanding seven-run lead and extinguishing any realistic hope of a Norse comeback.

Interstat’s ELO system had projected Florida State with an 88.10 percent probability to win.