Baseball Opens FSU Series With 7-5 Win
April 20, 2001
Tallahassee, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) — – The Hurricanes scored six runs over the final four innings that turned a 5-1 deficit into a 7-5 victory over #3 Florida State (34-10) in front of a season-high crowd of 4,736 at Dick Howser Stadium Friday night.
Miami (31-10) used home runs from Mike Rodriguez, Mike DiRosa and Danny Matienzo to slug past the Seminoles late in the game, while it received another solid outing from its bullpen that allowed three hits and no runs over the final 3.0 innings.
Luke DeBold (2-1) earned the win in relief of UM starter Kiki Bengochea, who pitched 6.0 innings with five hits, five runs (one earned), two walks and six strikeouts. George Huguet earned his ninth save of the season closing out the ninth inning for the Hurricanes. DeBold pitched 1.1 innings with one hit and two strikeouts.
Offensively, UM out-hit FSU, 9-8, with eight batters recording hits, including two-hit efforts from Kris Clute and Charlton Jimerson. Six batters had RBI, with two coming from Mike DiRosa.
Trailing 5-1 going into the sixth inning, Miami narrowed the lead, 5-2, when Kevin Howard doubled in Jimerson from second. Jimerson led off the inning with a bunt single to the pitcher and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Marcus Nettles.
The Hurricanes tied the game in the seventh, 5-5, with three runs, including two home runs, off FSU starter Blair Varnes. Mike Rodriguez led off the inning with his fifth home run of the season to right field. After Kevin Brown struck out, Clute reached base with a grounder up the middle. DiRosa followed with his seventh home run of the season deep to left center.
UM took the lead, 6-5, in the eighth on Matienzo’s seventh home run of the season over the right field fence on reliever Eric Roman (1-2).
Miami added a run in the ninth, 7-5, when Jimerson singled in Clute from third on reliever Brent Pearson. Clute led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on a single from DiRosa. Both runners moved over on a wild pitch.
FSU jumped out in the first, 2-0, with two runs off two hits and one error. With one out, John Ford-Griffin reached base with a single off the shortstop and later moved to second on a passed ball. Ryan Barthelemy followed with a single to left field to put runners on first and third. Karl Jernigan knocked in the Griffin with a ground out to the third baseman. Barthelemy scored the second run when he tagged up from third on a Bengochea wild pitch.
Miami answered in the second, 2-1, with one run on one hit and one error. Mike Rodriguez reached first on a fielding error on the pitcher and took second when the ball rolled into the UM dugout. After Kevin Brown struck out for the second out of the inning, Kris Clute came up with a RBI double down the right field line.
FSU added a run, 3-1, in the fourth when Jernigan scored from third on another Bengochea wild pitch. Jernigan had led off the inning with a triple to left center.
The Seminoles added another two runs, 5-1, in the fifth when Barthelemy sent a Bengochea pitch deep over the right field fence, also scoring Tony Richie on the play. Richie had earlier reached base on a throwing error from the shortstop.
Varnes went 6.1 innings with seven hits, five runs (four earned), no walks and eight strikeouts. Roman earned the loss with 1.1 innings of relief, one hit, one earned run, no walks and one strikeout.
With the win, the Hurricanes have at least assured themselves of a season-series tie with the Seminoles after taking two of three games last weekend in Coral Gables.
Miami and Florida State will continue the series on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Dick Howser Stadium. The two teams will conclude the 2001 regular season series on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. The Sunshine Network will televise Saturday’s game. The Saturday and Sunday games against FSU can also be on the student voice of the Hurricanes, WVUM 90.5 FM, as well as on 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.
