Baseball Falls To Oklahoma State 9-3
Feb. 11, 2001
Coral Gables, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) — – The University of Miami baseball team (6-2), ranked fourth by Baseball America, fell to 19th-ranked Oklahoma State (6-1), 9-3, in the final game of a weekend series that included a two-game sweep of 13th-ranked Florida on Friday and Saturday. Attendance for the Sunday game was 1,853 to make the weekend total 11,547.
OSU ace Josh Merrigan (2-0) led the Cowboy effort with a solid 7.1 innings of work with five hits, three runs (all earned), three walks and 12 strikeouts. The Cowboys erased an early 3-0 UM lead in the third and fourth with three runs, then rallied past UM with a one-run in the seventh. OSU padded its lead with one run in the eighth, followed by a four-run ninth.
Miami opened up the scoring in the third inning, 3-0, when Kevin Brown lifted a Merrigan pitch over the left field scoreboard that also scored Kevin Mannix and Mike Rodriguez. Following a Danny Matienzo ground out to start the inning, Mannix singled to centerfield and moved to second a balk. Mike Rodriguez then walked prior to Brown’s three-run shot.
Oklahoma State answered in the top of the third with Ryan Budde’s solo home run down the left field line off UM starter Chris Sheffield to narrow the score, 3-1.
The Cowboys evened the score, 3-3, in the fourth when Kyle Smith took a Sheffield over the left field wall, also scoring Luke Scott. Scott had reached base on a walk. Sheffield left game after the play having gone 3.2 innings with two hits, three runs (all earned), two walks and a career-high eight strikeouts.
Oklahoma State grabbed the lead, 4-3, in the top of the seventh on Rob Watson’s RBI single to centerfield that scored pinch-runner Roy York from second. York came in for Ali Modami who drew a walk from reliever Jeff Reboin (0-1) and moved to second on Budde’s sacrfice bunt to third base.
OSU added to its lead in the eighth, 5-3, when reliever George Huguet walked in Nebasset Brown from third. With reliever Alex Prendes on the mound to start the inning, Brown struck out and took first on a wild pitch. Jose Virgil then hit a deep infield single to the shortstop. Following a strikeout to Scott, Huguet came into the game and hit Paul Powell on his first pitch to load the bases. Huguet then walked Smith for the one run in the inning. Huguet forced a double-play to end the threat.
In the ninth, the Cowboys went up 9-3 and added its first run when Watson knocked in Budde from second. Budde led off the inning with a double off Huguet. Pinch-hitter Brian Kraft then was hit-by-pitch from new reliever J.D. Cockroft to put runners on first and second. Virgil then doubled to to left center to score both base runners. After Virgil stole third, he later scored off a Scott single to right field.
The Hurricanes return to action next weekend at Mark Light Stadium when Elon College comes in for a three-game series. Friday night’s start time is scheduled for 7 p.m., followed by 1 p.m. times on Saturday and Sunday.
Call 1-800 GO CANES for season and individual game ticket information or check out UM’s official athletic website, www.hurricanesportscom, for updated information regarding the baseball team.
