BACK-AND-FORTH BATTLE ENDS IN 11-10 MIAMI LOSS TO GEORGIA TECH
March 27, 2005
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – Miami (22-7, 8-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) and Georgia Tech (21-4, 11-1 ACC) started their three-game series with a pair of one-sided contests but finished with a see-saw matchup that ended in an 11-10 Hurricane loss Sunday afternoon at Mark Light Field. Miami’s 20-1 victory Friday night and Georgia Tech’s 17-7 win Saturday did not come close to resembling Sunday’s game. The lead switched hands five times, the last coming on a two-run home by Georgia Tech’s Matt Wieters in the top of the ninth inning.
The Hurricanes lost a 9-7 lead in the top of the ninth on a two-run double by Georgia Tech right fielder Jeff Kindel off Miami reliever Danny Gil that tied the score at 9-9. Catcher Matt Wieters followed with a two-run home run down the right field line to give the Yellow Jackets an 11-9 lead with the bottom half of the Miami order due up in the bottom of the ninth.
UM shortstop Roger Tomas doubled to lead off the inning and scored on a one-out single by freshman Walter Diaz to bring the Hurricanes within 11-10. Diaz stole second, but it was as close as he would get to tying the game. Wieters moved from catcher to pitcher to record the final two outs of the game and picked up the save.
Gil (1-2) was charged with the loss. Miami senior starter Dan Touchet threw five and two-thirds innings and gave up six runs on nine hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in the no-decision. Georgia Tech’s Tim Ladd earned his first decision of the year, giving up one hit and one run with one strikeout in one and two-third innings of work.
The teams combined for 29 hits and six home runs, which were aided in part by a steady wind with gust up to 25 mph. Six Hurricanes had multiple hits in the game, including Diaz and catcher Eddy Rodriguez, who collected three hits apiece. Danny Figueroa had a rare steal of home in the third inning and Tomas hit an inside-the-park home run in the fifth.
GT was led by Jeremy Slayden’s two home runs and three RBIs. Wieters finished the game 3 for 5 with two runs and two RBIs.
UM started with a 1-0 lead in the first on a RBI groundout by Ryan Braun that scored Paco Figueroa. Slayden responded with his first home run of the day, a two-run shot in the second. Tech pushed the lead to 3-1 in the third. Miami tied the game in its half of the inning on a solo home run by freshman Alex Garabedian and Danny Figueroa’s steal of home.
Georgia Tech gained a short-lived 5-3 advantage in the fifth. Miami responded with four runs on RBIs from Braun and Danny Valencia, and Tomas’ home run. Slayden hit his second home run of the day in the sixth to put the score at 7-6, Miami.
The Hurricanes scored two more runs in the seventh and allowed a Yellow Jacket run in the eighth for a 9-7 Miami lead heading into the ninth inning.
Miami returns to action in its only four-game series of the season against Oral Roberts on Thursday, March 31. The series is set to begin with a 7 p.m. first pitch at Mark Light Field.
Notes: Danny Figueroa’s steal of home was the first straight steal of home by a Hurricane since Javy Rodriguez took home against Florida International on Feb. 22, 2002… Paco Figueroa stole home against Florida on Feb. 18 on a double-steal attempt… Tomas’ home run was the first inside-the-parker by a Hurricane since Adam Ricks hit one against Florida International on Feb. 5, 2003.
