Baseball Slugs Past N.C. State 19-1
April 22, 2000
Raleigh, NC – The University of Miami baseball team (28-13-1), ranked as high as 11th by Collegiate Baseball newspaper, defeated North Carolina State (24-21) for the second straight night, 19-1, to clinch the three-game series with the Wolfpack at Doak Field.
UM starter Brian Walker (7-2) earned the win pitching 6.0 innings with no runs on eight hits, two walks and five strikeouts. The Hurricanes out-hit the Wolfpack 21-10 in the game, while N.C. State added four errors and used five pitchers. Miami has outscored N.C. State 31-1 over the first two games of the series.
Offensively, third baseman Kevin Howard and shortstop Javy Rodriguez, who each had five hits in the game, led the Hurricanes. Additionally, Howard had five RBI, while Rodriguez had four runs scored.
dawMiami made the most of its first hit of the game, a solo home run by Javy Rodriguez to left center off Wolfpack starter Josh Schmitt (1-2), in the second inning to put the Hurricanes ahead 1-0. The home run was Javy Rodriguez‘ fourth of the season and third in his last four games.
An inning later, the Hurricanes added two more runs on three hits for the 3-0 lead. Howard added the first run of the inning scoring off a throwing error by Wolfpack shortstop Jason Smith on the tail end of first baseman Danny Matienzo’s single up the middle. Howard had reached base earlier on double of the season to right field. After stealing second, Matienzo scored the second run off designated hitter Lale Esquivel’s double down the left field line.
Miami then added three runs on four hits and one error for the early 6-0 lead in the fourth. Javy Rodriguez led off the inning with an infield single to the third baseman Jeremy Dutton and took second on Dutton’s errant throw. Left fielder Kevin Mannix scored Rodriguez for the first run of the inning with a double down the right field line. Mannix scored shortly after on centerfielder Mike Rodriguez‘ single to left center. After stealing second, Mike Rodriguez scored on Howard’s second double of the game to left center.
In the fifth, UM scored another run, for the 7-0 lead, on one hit and one error. Esquivel scored the run all the way from first base when Javy Rodriguez hit a grounder to the right fielder Craig Lee, who let ball go underneath his glove. Esquivel had led off the inning with a walk.
Schmitt left the game after 4.1 innings with nine hits allowed, seven runs, six earned, two walk and six strikeouts.
The Hurricanes made a big lead even bigger in the sixth as they totaled six runs on seven hits for the 13-0 lead. In the inning, UM used 13 batters and hit for the cycle. Catcher Mike DiRosa led off the inning with a single to left field. Two batters later, Howard hit his third extra base hit of the game, a triple to right field that scored DiRosa. With two outs, Esquivel then hit his team-high 13th home run of the season down the left field line. The next batter, right fielder Manny Crespo doubled to left center then took third on a wild pitch. Javy Rodriguez then singled to third base, scoring Crespo. Second baseman Kris Clute hit a single to left field, moving Javy Rodriguez to second on the play. Mannix then walked to load the bases. DiRosa knocked in the two final runs of the inning with a single to left field.
N.C. State’s Chris Goodman broke up the shut out in the seventh with a pinch hit home run to left field off UM reliever Chris Sheffield. The run scored was the Wolfpack’s first in 18 straight innings.
Howard knocked in one more run in the eighth, second baseman Chad Strong from second, with a single to centerfield for the 14-1 margin. Strong reached base on a fielding error by N.C. State’s Goodman.
Miami added five more runs in the ninth on three hits and one error for the 19-1 lead. Mark Walker reached base on a walk. Javy Rodriguez singled to left field, moving Walker to second. Strong flied out to centerfield, Walker moved to third. Mannix then singled to right field to score Walker. Left fielder Marcus Nettles drew a walk to load the bases. Pinch-hitter Greg Lovelady drew a walk to force in Javy Rodriguez. The next batter, Howard, doubled to centerfield, his fourth extra-base hit, scoring Mannix and Nettles. Matienzo then reached on a throwing error by the shortstop, allowing Lovelady to score from third.
Miami is additionally ranked 12th in the Baseball Weekly/ESPN Coaches’ Poll and 14th by Baseball America.
Miami and North Carolina State conclude its three-game series on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Doak Field. The game can be heard on student radio WVUM 90.5 FM or on the internet at www.hurricanesports.com.
