Baseball Gets Late Lift In 9-8 Win Over New York Tech
May 20, 2000
Coral Gables, FL (www.hurricanesports.com) – Catcher Mike DiRosa hit two home runs, with his last a solo shot in the 10th, to lift No. 12 Miami (37-16-1) past New York Tech (17-27-1), 9-8, at Mark Light Stadium.
DiRosa, who also homered in the seventh, went 2-4 in the game with two runs scored and three RBI. Designated hitter Lale Esquivel led UM’s offensive surge, going 3-5 at the plate with two home runs, one double and six RBI.
UM starter Kiki Bengochea went seven innings for the no-decision with eight hits, four runs, three earned, no walks and two strikeouts. New York Tech starter Brandon Kurz also took a no-decision with four innings with five hits, five runs, all earned, six walks, one strikeout, three wild pitches and one hit batter.
Usual No. 1 pitcher David Gil (10-2) earned the win after pitching one scoreless inning of relief with two strikeouts.
New York Tech got on the scoreboard early, putting one run on in the top of the first when left fielder Brian Goldberg knocked in lead-off batter and second baseman Rob Santoro on a ground out to UM second baseman Kris Clute. Santoro had reached base on a throwing error by UM shortstop Javy Rodriguez and took second. He then took third on shortstop Ian Beller’s ground out.
Designated hitter Lale Esquivel put UM in front in the bottom of the first, 2-1, with a two-RBI double down the left field line that scored third baseman Kevin Howard and shortstop Javy Rodriguez. Howard reached base with a single to right field and took second on a Kurz wild pitch. Kurz then hit Javy Rodriguez with a pitch to put runners at first and second just prior to Esquivel’s at bat.
The Bears jumped back into the lead, 3-2, on first baseman Steve Robins double down the left field line that scored right fielder Mike Rick and centerfielder Bryan Goelz. Rick led off the inning with a single to left field, followed by another single to left field by Goelz.
Esquivel handed the Hurricanes the lead, 5-3, in the fourth inning with his team-leading 17th home run of the season over the left field scoreboard, that also scored Clute and centerfielder Mike Rodriguez, who each reached base on walks.
New York Tech dented UM’s lead with one run in the seventh to come within one run, 5-4, on catcher Steve Zydowsky’s RBI bloop single to right field that scored Robins from second. Robins reached base earlier on a double down the right field line.
Esquivel did it again, in the bottom of the seventh, as he led off the frame with a solo home run, his 18th on the year, high above the left field scoreboard off reliever Ken Henderson to put UM ahead 6-4. Later in the seventh, catcher Mike DiRosa, hit his third home run of 2000 to left field, also scoring pinch runner Charlton Jimerson for the 8-4 UM lead. Jimerson was pinch running for Kevin Mannix, who reached base with an infield single to third base.
New York Tech got back into the game in the eighth inning, when Rick hit a line drive double to left center with bases loaded off reliever Luke DeBold to cut into the lead, 8-7. DeBold loaded the bases by allowing a lead off double to Beller, followed by a single to Goldberg and a walk to third baseman Tom Merkle. Rick later scored from third on a ground out by Robins to tie the score, 8-8.
Miami and New York Tech conclude its three-game series on Sunday, May 21 at 1 p.m. at Mark Light Stadium. The game can be heard on the student voice WVUM 90.5 FM or over the internet at www.hurricanesports.com.
