Baseball Falls Late In 7-2 Loss To East Carolina
March 17, 2001
Coral Gables, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) — – After taking a 3-2 lead in the seventh inning, #20 East Carolina (18-4) scored four more in the top of the ninth to surge past #7 Miami (20-6), 7-2, in front of 2,175 fans at Mark Light Stadium.
ECU’s Chad Tracy, who extended his team-high 20-game hitting streak in the game, hit a solo home run off UM starter Kiki Bengochea (4-1) in the seventh to give the Pirates the 3-2 lead. After Luke DeBold and Alex Prendes combined to get UM out of the remainder of the seventh and eighth, Prendes was hit for three runs in the top of the ninth. George Huguet surrendered one more run for the five-run deficit.
Miami opened the scoring in the first, 2-0, with two runs on three hits and one ECU error. With one out, Mike Rodriguez reached base on a throwing error by the third baseman and took second on the play. After Javy Rodriguez grounded out for the second out of the inning, Mike Rodriguez stole third. Danny Matienzo then doubled down the right field line to score Mike Rodriguez. Kevin Mannix followed with another double deep to left center to score Matienzo.
ECU’s John Williamson made the score, 2-1, with his solo home run deep to right field in the second off Bengochea.
The Pirates tied the game, 2-2,when Ben Sanderson singled in Cliff Godwin from second with a hard grounder to left field. With two outs registered, Godwin reached base with a single to right field and move to second on a walk to Clayton McCullough.
After giving up a single to Kevin Howard and a walk to Haas Pratt, ECU starter Jason Mandryk was relieved with Neal Sears. Mandryk went 5.0 innings with eight hits, two unearned runs, two walks, one strikeout and two wild pitches.
Tracy put ECU up, 3-2, with his solo home run to right field in the seventh. Later in the seventh, Bengochea was replaced with Luke DeBold. Bengochea pitched 6.2 innings with nine hits, three runs (all earned), four walks and five strikeouts in 109 pitches.
DeBold and Prendes combined to ge UM out of the eighth inning forcing a double-play to end an ECU scoring threat with runners on first and third.
Miami and East Carolina will conclude the three-game series on Sunday at 1 p.m. The game will be televised live by Fox Sports Net Florida. Sunday’s contest can also be heard on radio at UM’s Spanish Broadcast Network on WACC 830 AM Radio Paz and the student voice of the Hurricanes, WVUM 90.5 FM. Every Hurricane game is also carried via the Internet at UM’s official athletics website 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.
