Baseball Completes Sweep of South Florida With 3-2 Win
Feb. 20, 2000
Coral Gables, FL – The University of Miami baseball team (8-5) completed a three-game sweep over South Florida (4-6) with a 3-2 win over the Bulls at Mark Light Stadium on the UM campus.With the series sweep of USF, Miami has won 14 consecutive three-game series and 31 of its last 32.
At Mark Light, the Hurricanes have won 37 of its last 38 three-game series.Miami did its best to ensure the three-game sweep with a three-run first inning off USF starter Alex Brown (1-1). UM’s three early runs came off three hits and two walks, with one of the hits a towering two-run home run over the left field scoreboard.
Second baseman Javy Rodriguez led off the game with walk and later moved to third. Designated hitter Lale Esquivel then scored Rodriguez with a double to left field. The next batter, first baseman Kevin Brown, hit his second home run of the season deep over the left field scoreboard to also score Esquivel. Brown finished the day going 3-4 from the plate with one run scored and two RBI – all three hits were for extra bases.
UM starting pitcher Kiki Bengochea, a third-round draft pick of the Kansas City Royals in the 1999 draft, took the no-decision in his first career start for the Hurricanes. Bengochea, a freshman out of nearby Columbus High, lasted 4.1 innings with a career-best four strikeouts. He was replaced with junior Tom Farmer (2-2), who earned the victory after allowing one unearned run and one hit in 2.2 innings of action.
USF got back into the game with one run in each of the fifth and sixth innings. In the fifth, USF’s Mike Cunningham singled in Mark Barclay, who led off the inning with a walk. In the sixth, USF’s Mike Eylward singled, then advanced to second on an error by UM centerfielder Mike Rodriguez. Two batters later, Barclay reached base on an error by UM third baseman Chad Strong, also allowing Eylward to score.
Sophomore closer Luke DeBold earned his third save of the season by finishing off the Bulls with three strikeouts over the final two innings.
The Hurricanes return to action on Friday, February 25 against Villanova at 7 p.m. at Mark Light Stadium.
