Baseball Wraps Up Homestand With Victory

April 10, 2013

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The Miami Hurricanes wrapped up their five-game homestand in solid fashion Wednesday night, capturing their midweek match-up with visiting Stetson by a final score of 8-2.

After allowing a run in the game’s first inning, junior starter Javi Salas settled down to deliver one of his best outings of the season in a complete game victory. The Coral Gables, Fla., native set down a string of 11 consecutive Stetson batters in the early going, and retired 23 of 25 with two outs to go in the ninth. Salas (3-4) scattered seven hits and two earned runs over his first career career complete game, striking out four batters while walking none.

Facing a 1-0 deficit after the first, Miami gained an early lead by plating three runs in the third. Junior Dale Carey and sophomore Garrett Kennedy reached on back-to-back singles to open the frame, while a two-out RBI double from junior Alex Hernandez ripped past Stetson third baseman Carlos Garmendia down the leftfield line knotted the game up at 1-1.

With runners on second and third, senior Chantz Mack delivered another two-out hit – this one a two-RBI single that split the Hatters’ middle infield – to give Miami (22-14) its first lead of the night at 3-1.

That was all Salas would need. A lead-off single in the fourth ended his streak of 11 consecutive batters retired, but the righthander induced a double play from Mitchel Brennan and a groundout from Mike Ferland to end the frame unharmed. With the help of strong defensive play from his infield, including freshman David Thompson making his first career start at third base, Salas would finish off the second complete game for a Miami pitcher this season.

Miami tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth, chasing Stetson starter Adam Schaly (0-2) after just 3.1 innings of work. A sacrifice fly from Carey plated senior Michael Broad, who singled and stole second to lead off the inning. After reliever Josh Thorne issued back-to-back walks to Kennedy and Brandon Lopez, freshman Christopher Barr roped the first pitch he saw from Thorne into centerfield, scoring Kennedy to make it 5-1.

The Hurricanes would plate three runs over their final two innings. Thompson’s bases-loaded single in the bottom of the seventh would move Miami’s lead to 6-1, as the Miami, Fla., native recorded his team-leading 24th RBI on the play.

After Lopez connected on his first career double in the eighth, an RBI groundout from Barr and an RBI single from infielder Tyler Palmer increased the Hurricanes’ lead to 8-1.

The Hurricanes next travel to College Park, Md., for a three-game series with Maryland beginning Friday, April 12. First pitch for game one from Shipley Field is set for 6:30 p.m.