Baseball Escapes Rutgers With 6-5 Rally Win In The Ninth
Centerfielder Mike Rodriguez came up big for the Hurricanes (15-7) with a two RBI shot in the bottom of the ninth inning to cap a 6-5 rally win over Rutgers (4-6) in the first of a three-game series at Mark Light Stadium.
Rodriguez sent a hard shot at the Rutgers left fielder Leon Shade, which Shade misjudged for an error, brought in UM base-runners Greg Lovelady and Marcus Nettles. The bottom of the ninth rally was the first comeback win for the Hurricanes in the 2000 season.
Rutgers closer Eric Brown (0-3) took the loss for the Scarlet Knights.
Lovelady led off the bottom of the inning with a double to right field. Nettle followed up with an infield bunt down the third baseman line to put runners on first and third just prior to the Rodriguez at bat.
Hurricane closer Luke DeBold (2-2) earned the victory, but nearly took the loss as he gave up two runs in the top of the ninth inning to erase a 4-3 UM lead. After getting the first RU batter out on a pop fly, DeBold walked Val Majewski followed by a double from David DeJesus. Darren Fenster then sacrifice-flied to right field to score Majewski and tie the game 4-4. After intentional walk to Jake Daubert, Todd Speedy singled to right field to score Daubert for the go ahead 5-4 lead.
Rutgers jumped out in the first with one run as Scarlet Knight centerfielder David DeJesus scored from second on an RBI single to centerfield from third baseman Jake Daubert.
In the third, RU extended its lead to 2-0 as DeJesus scored from third on an infield single by right fielder Todd Speedy. DeJesus reached base with a triple off UM starter David Gil.
Miami tied the game, 2-2, in the fourth off a two-run home run deep to centerfield from junior right fielder Manny Crespo. The two-run shot also scored senior third baseman Lale Esquivel, who reached base on an error by RU shortstop Darren Fenster.
In the sixth, Rutgers regained the lead, 3-2, when second baseman Matt Wolski singled to centerfield off Hurricane junior reliever Greg Howell to score first baseman Mike O’Brien from second. Gil left the game after 5.1 innings pitched with three earned runs, five hits, four walks and seven strikeouts.
The Hurricanes tied things up once again, 3-3, in the bottom of the seventh off a solo home run over the right field scoreboard by freshman right fielder Kevin Mannix.
Miami took its first lead of the game in the eighth inning, 4-3, when Crespo doubled in Esquivel from second. Esquivel reached base with an infield single to the shortstop.
Miami and Rutgers will meet on Saturday at 7 p.m., with WACC 830 AM calling the game in Spanish, as well as UM’s regular broadcast on student radio WVUM 90.5 FM.
