Baseball Sweeps Coral Gables Series Against Florida With 17-1 Rout
Feb. 5, 2000
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Defending National Champion Miami Hurricanes (4-2) handed the Florida Gators (3-2) their second-worse defeat in school history with a 17-1 rout at Mark Light Stadium on the UM campus.
The win also extended UM’s win streak over the Gators in Coral Gables to 10 games. Miami will look to snap its eight-game losing streak to UF in Gainesville next weekend, February 12-13, at McKethan Stadium.
The Hurricanes jumped out fast on Florida with 11 runs over the first two innings. Miami’s offense was so productive that UF starter Mike Smalley was pulled after one inning of work. Smalley (1-1) was credited with seven hits allowed and nine earned runs.
On the other end of the pitching spectrum was the standout performance by UM No. 2 starter Troy Roberson. Roberson (1-0) went 5.0 innings with just four hits, zero runs and six strikeouts. In two appearances this season, Roberson has gone 10.0 innings with a 0.00 ERA and 11 strikeouts.
Miami, which totaled 19 hits in the first game against Florida on Friday night, tallied 17 Saturday evening. The offense was led by 11 UM batters that recorded hits as compared to 12 batters on Friday night.
UM was led offensively by second baseman Kris Clute, who had three hits, three runs scored, three RBI and one walk in five at bats. Clute single-handedly ignited UM’s seven-run second inning with a lead off double and a triple later in the inning that scored UM’s final two runs.
After sitting out most of the Hurricanes first four games of the season, centerfielder Mike Rodriguez also tallied three RBI in the game with two hits in three at bats.
UM put four runs on the scoreboard in the first inning, seven in the second and six in the fifth, while UF’s Jason Dill had a solo home run off UM closer Luke DeBold in the top of the ninth. All four of UF’s runs in the two-game series came in the top of the ninth innings of both games.
The 16-point margin of victory was the most by a UM team in the 60-year history of the two schools, dating back to the 1940 season. The previous mark was a 12-run Hurricane win (18-6) in 1972.
The Hurricanes return to the diamond on Tuesday, February 7 at 7 p.m. against Florida Atlantic. UM will start RHP Tom Farmer. The game will be carried WQAM 560 AM, WACC 830 AM (spanish) and WVUM 90.5 FM.
