Baseball Blasts FIU 10-2 At Homestead Challenge
Feb. 23, 2001
Homestead, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) — – The University of Miami baseball team (10-3), ranked as high as fourth nationally by Baseball America, delivered a 10-2 defeat to cross-town rival Florida International (9-4) in front of 2,782 fans in the Orange Bowl First Pitch, as part of the 2001 Homestead Challenge, at the Homestead Sports Complex.
UM starter Brian Walker (4-0) went a career-high 8.0 innings with seven hits, two earned runs, three walks and six strikeouts. Offensively, 10 UM batters had hits, including six players with multiple hits. For the fifth time on the season the UM defense committed zero errors.
The Hurricanes opened up the scoring in the bottom of the first, 4-0, with four runs on five hits off FIU starter Arthur Santos (0-1). Charlton Jimerson led off the scoring with his first home run of the season in the lead-off position. After Javy Rodriguez was caught stealing, Mike Rodriguez and Kevin Mannix each reached base with singles to left field. Following a Kevin Brown fly out to right field, Danny Matienzo put Miami in front 4-0 with a three-run blast over the left field wall.
In the second, Miami went ahead 5-0 when Mannix was hit by a Michael Baluja pitch with bases loaded to score Jimerson from third. Jimerson led off the inning with an infield single towards third base and moved to third on Javy Rodriguez‘ double down the left field line.
Miami extended its lead, 7-0, in the third when Javy Rodriguez drove in Kevin Howard and Kris Clute with an infield single that was misplayed by FIU second baseman Gus Alfonso. On the play, Jimerson was tagged out at second, but Alfonso overthrew the first baseman to allow two runs in. Howard led off the inning with a single to left field, followed by a Clute bunt single. Jimerson drew a walk to load the bases.
UM added two more runs in the fourth for the 9-0 lead. Mannix scored the first run on a pass ball from FIU catcher Tommy Duenas. Mannix led off the inning with a single to third base and took second on a throwing error from Todd Sherbinsky. He moved to third on a wild pitch from pitcher Josh Banks. Brown then doubled deep to centerfield, took third on a Matienzo ground out and then home on a Howard ground out.
FIU dug into the UM lead, 9-2, with two runs on three hits off Walker in the fifth. Alfonso led off the inning with a single to third base and took second on a balk. Mickey Torello doubled down the left field line to score Alfonso. Sherbinsky walked and later took second on Matt Huntingford’s single to left field, also allowing Torello to move to third. Torello then scored following a walk to Daniel Bustamente.
Mike Rodriguez put the Hurricanes ahead, 10-2, in the eighth with a solo home run to right field off Banks.
The Miami victory over the Golden Panthers moves the Hurricanes to 80-18 in the all-time series dating back to the 1973 season. The eight-run margin of victory was also the largest for Miami since defeating FIU 14-4 in the championship game of the 2000 NCAA Coral Gables Regional. All-time, Miami moves to 6-1 at the Homestead Challenge since the 1998 season.
Miami and FIU will conclude its 2001 series on Saturday, February 24 at 7 p.m. at the Homestead Sports Complex. The game can be heard on radio on the student voice of the Hurricanes, WVUM 90.5 FM as well as on the Internet at hurricanesports.com.
Following Saturday’s game with FIU, Miami will close out the weekend with the University of Albany on Sunday, February 25 at 1 p.m. at Mark Light Stadium. The Albany game can be heard over radio on UM’s flagship station Sports Radio 560 WQAM, in Spanish on WACC 830 AM Radio Paz, WVUM 90.5 FM and over the Internet at hurricanesports.com.
Call 1-800-GO-CANES for season and individual game ticket information. To join the excitement, log on to hurricanesports.com and become a member of Hurricane Watch, the on-line loyalty program that allows you to purchase tickets on-line, transfer tickets to friends via email and earn Hurricane rewards for each game you attend at the Light.
