Baseball Holds Off #20 East Carolina 14-13
March 16, 2001
Coral Gables, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) — – Despite giving up 11 runs over the final two innings, the #7 Miami Hurricanes (20-5) held onto a 14-13 victory over #20 East Carolina (17-4) in front of 1,859 fans at Mark Light Stadium.
UM starter Brian Walker (6-0) earned the victory on the mound for the Hurricanes, marking his 13th consecutive decision dating back to last season. In the game, Walker also tied his school-record with three pick-offs. Walker went 7.0 innings with nine hits, two runs (both earned), one walk and three strikeouts.
After Walker’s departure, four relief pitchers allowed 11 runs (all earned) prior to cloer Luke DeBold shutting the door on the Pirates for his fourth save. J.D. Cockroft gave up five runs, followed by Danny Touchet (one), Alex Prendes (four) and George Huguet (one).
Offensively, eight UM batters accounted for the Hurricanes’ 15 hits. East Carolina tallied 19 hits in the effort. UM was led Danny Matienzo, who went 3-3 from the plate with three runs scored and one RBI. Haas Pratt hit his first career home run in the eighth inning, a two-run shot deep to left center, to extend the score to 14-7.
The Hurricanes opened the scoring, 4-0, in the second inning with four runs on four hits and two ECU errors all with two outs showing. Danny Matienzo led off the frame with a single to right field. After ECU starter Sam Narron (4-1) struck out Kevin Brown and Kevin Howard, Jim Burt reached on a fielding error by the shortstop for runners on first and second. Kevin Mannix followed with a single to left field to score Matienzo. Kris Clute then doubled down the right field line to score Burt and move Mannix to third. Marcus Nettles scored Mannix and moved Clute over to third with his infield single, but a throwing error by the third baseman allowed Clute to score.
Miami added five more runs in the third inning on four hits and one ECU error for the 9-0 advantage. Javy Rodriguez led off the inning with an infield single and stole second. Matienzo and Brown each walked to load the bases. Howard brought in the first run with his hard grounder off Narron, allowing Javy Rodriguez to score. After Burt flew out to right field, Mannix cleared the bases with his single to left field, scoring Matienzo and Brown. A fielding error on the play allowed Howard to score. Clute knocked in the fifth run, Mannix, with his sacrifice fly to right field.
In the fourth, Walker tied his school-record with his third pick-off, previously set in his start against Elon College. Later in the inning, ECU chipped into the UM lead, 9-1, on Chad Tracy’s double to left center that scored Bryant Ward. Ward reached base on a strikeout wild pitch.
UM added another run in the fourth inning to extend the score to 10-1. With out, Javy Rodriguez reached base with a shallow single to centerfield and stole second. He came around to score on Matienzo’s single up the middle. Narron was then relieved with Glenn Tucker. Narron, in 3.1 innings pitched, gave up 10 hits, 11 runs (six earned), three walks and two strikeouts. Narron had entered the game with a 4-0 record and a 0.56 ERA.
In the fifth, UM went ahead 11-1 when Nettles grounded into a double-play, allowing Mannix to score from third. Mannix reached base on a walk, took second on a wild pitch and moved to third on Clute’s infield single.
ECU scored a run in the sixth, 11-2, when Tracy grounded into a double-play to allow Ben Sanderson to score from third. Sanderson led off the inning with a single to centerfield and advanced to third on Ward’s single to centerfield.
Miami answered with a run, 12-2, in the sixth on Pratt’s sacrifice fly RBI to right field that brough Matienzo in from third. Matienzo had singled to left field and moved to third on a fielding error.
Cockroft and Touchet gave up a combined five runs on four hits and a UM error to bring the score within 12-7.
Pratt made the score 14-7 in the eighth with his first career home run deep to left center, also scoring Mike DiRosa on the play. DiRosa had reached base with a single to left field.
Miami and East Carolina will continue the series on Saturday at 7 p.m. The game can be heard on the student voice of the Hurricanes, WVUM 90.5 FM, as well as on the Internet at UM’s official athletics website hurricanesports.com. The two teams will conclude the series on Sunday at 1 p.m., which will be televised live on Fox Sports Net Florida. UM’s Spanish Broadcast Network on WACC 830 AM Radio Paz will also carry the Sunday contest, along with WVUM and 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.
Bring your W2 tax forms to Mark Light Stadium Saturday night for the H&R Block Tax Relief promotion. Representatives will be on hand to complete your 1040 EZ forms for FREE.
