Jan. 27, 2001
Coral Gables, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) — – The University of Miami baseball team (1-1) dropped an 11-10 decision to host-school Florida Atlantic (1-1) when the Owls rallied with two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning.
After Miami erased a 9-6 FAU lead late in the game, the Hurricanes eventually went ahead 10-9 in the top of the ninth. But, with closer Luke DeBold (0-1) on the mound Owl leftfielder Regan Samaniego led off the bottom of the ninth with a single to left field. Catcher Dean Devine then sacrifice bunted Samaniego over to second. After an intentional walk to designated hitter L.J. Biernbaum, third baseman Rusty Brown singled to right center, scoring the tying run in Samaniego and moving Biernbaum to third. FAU pinch-hitter Jason Sullivan brought in the winning run with a squeeze bunt that allowed Biernbaum to move behind UM catcher Mike DiRosa for the winning run.
In the top of the ninth with the score tied, 9-9, the Hurricanes went ahead after scoring one run following a bases load situation. Designated hitter Danny Matienzo led off the inning with a single to right field off pitcher Tim McNab (1-0), who had been playing in right field for most of the game. Brad Safchik came in the game to pinch run for Matienzo. Right fielder Kevin Mannix was then hit by a pitch, which put runners on first and second. A passed ball allowed both runners to move over a base. DiRosa then hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to score Safchik from third. With runners one out, FAU forced second baseman Kris Clute to pop out and pinch-hitter Charlton Jimerson to strikeout.
Trailing 9-6 going into the eighth, Miami scored three times in the top of the frame to erase the deficit. Matienzo led off the inning with a single to right field, then moved to second on a wild pitch. Mannix reached base when FAU shortstop Bobby Spano dropped a pop fly. DiRosa then drew a walk to load the bases. The first out was tallied when Clute hit into a fielder’s choice forcing Matienzo out at home. Pinch-hitter Haas Pratt hit a single to centerfield to score Mannix and move runners to second and third. Shortstop Javy Rodriguez then hit an infield single to third base to score DiRosa from third. A wild pitch from FAU reliever Tim Wailand would score the tying run. With just one out, McNab came in to pitch from right field and proceeded to get UM’s Kevin Brown and Mike Rodriguez to each pop out to end the threat.
Leading 6-5 going into the bottom of the sixth, the Hurricanes allowed FAU to score its second four-run inning of the game in peculiar fashion. With reliever Danny Touchet on the mound UM look composed. He got Devine to strike out to start the inning, but allowed Biernbaum and Rusty Brown to hit consecutive singles for runners on first and second. Then it came apart for the Hurricanes. Sullivan hit a ground ball up the middle of the infield that appeared to be a potential double-play possibility, but third base umpire Daryl Davis moved in front of the ball’s path to nullify UM’s defensive play and load the bases. UM replaced Touchet with Alex Prendes, who allowed the first run to come in with pinch-hitter Mike Valdes’ single to left field. UM replaced Prendes with George Huguet who proceeded to hit Spano and centerfielder Gabe Sommariba with consecutive pitches to score two more runs. A passed ball on a Huguet pitch allowed FAU’s fourth run of the inning.
UM would break the 5-5 tie in the top of the sixth with Mannix’ home run to centerfield to go ahead 6-5.
The Hurricanes stormed back in the top of the fifth to add two more runs to tie the score, 5-5. After Clute lined out to start the inning, left fielder Marcus Nettles and Javy Rodriguez each reached base with consecutive singles to left field. FAU’s Sullivan committed a fielding error on third baseman Kevin Howard’s at bat, allowing Nettles to score and Javy Rodriguez to move to third. Rodriguez then came in on a balk from Benjamin.
With UM trailing 5-2 going into the fourth, Matienzo would trim the Owl lead to 5-3 with his solo home run to right field off Benjamin.
In the top of the third, FAU would add four runs to grab its first lead of the game, 5-2. The four runs, three unearned, were off UM starter Kiki Bengochea and the UM defense committed three errors to boot. First baseman Ryan Humphrey led off the inning by reaching on a fielding error by Kevin Brown. Spano then hit a triple to left center to score Humphrey. Spano would score on the next at bat when Sommariba reached on base by a throwing error from Javy Rodriguez and took second McNab scored Sommariba with a single to centerfield. Brown then made another error on Samaniego’s at bat, allowing McNab to move to third. Devine then hit a single to centerfield, allowing McNab to score and Samaniego to move to third. FAU’s Rusty Brown hit into a double-play to end the inning.
In the bottom of the second, Devine led off with a solo home run to centerfield to cut the UM lead to 2-1.
Miami opened the scoring in the top of the second with two unearned runs off Benjamin, when the FAU defense committed four errors. After Mike Rodriguez lined out to start the inning, Matienzo reached first on a fielding error by Humphrey. The error allowed Matienzo to advance all the way to the third. Mannix then reached base on a fielder’s choice, scoring Matienzo on the play. DiRosa then singled to left to move Mannix to third. Clute brought in the second run on a sacrifice fly to right field that brought Mannix in.
In total the game consisted of a combined nine errors, eight unearned runs, three passed balls, three hit batters and two wild pitches.
The two teams end the three-game series on Saturday, January 27 at Mark Light Stadium at 7 p.m. Florida Marlins catcher Charles Johnson, who starred for the Hurricanes from 1990-92, will throw out the first pitch.