Baseball Clinches Series Victory Over Jacksonville In 6-2 Win
May 6, 2001
Coral Gables, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) — – University of Miami baseball team (38-12), ranked as third by BaseballAmerica and in the Baseball Weekly/ESPN Coaches Poll, defeated Jacksonville (31-20), 6-2, in front of 1,531 fans Sunday afternoon at Mark Light Stadium. The victory, UM’s second straight over the Dolphins, clinched the series victory over the Dolphins after picking up a 13-3 decision on Saturday night.
Miami starter Tom Farmer (10-2) led the Hurricanes on the mound going 7.0 innings with six hits, two runs (both unearned), one walk and a career-high 10 strikeouts. The 10 strikeouts is the second-most by a UM starting pitcher in 2001. Farmer’s counterpart, JU starter Steve Patterson (1-1) lasted 4.0 innings with seven hits, five runs (all earned), two walks, one strikeout and a hit batter. Four UM relievers combined to allow just one hit and one walk with one strikeout the final 2.0 innings.
In the game, the Hurricanes stole a season-high 10 bases led by a school-record five by Marcus Nettles. Charlton Jimerson had two, followed by Mike Rodriguez, Kevin Howard and Kevin Mannix with one each.
Offensivley, UM out-hit Jacksonville, 9-7, led by Mannix’ three hits. Greg Lovelady (2) was the lone other UM batter with multiple hits.
Jacksonville opened scoring in the top of the first, 1-0, when B.J. Weed tagged up from third on a Farmer wild pitch with two outs. Weed led off the inning with an infield single to the shortstop. Dale Johnson then reached off a fielding error on a bunt toward Farmer, moving Weed to second. Both runners moved over a base on Phil Nover’s sacrifice bunt.
The Hurricanes answered in the bottom of the first, 4-1, as they batted around the order and scored four runs on three hits and two walks. UM also stole five bases in the inning. Nettles led of getting hit by a pitch and stole second. Mike Rodriguez then walked. After Javy Rodriguez popped up a bunt, both runners stole second and third, respectively. Howard walked to load the bases. Danny Matienzo drove in the first run, Nettles, with a sacrifice fly to right field. Mannix drove in the second run, Mike Rodriguez, with a single to right field. Matienzo and Howard each moved over on stolen bases. Haas Pratt followed with a two-RBI double down the right field line that cleared the bases.
The Dolphins added a run, 4-2, in the third when Chad Oliva singled in Johnson from third with a hard grounder to left field. Johnson led off the inning reaching on a fielding error by the third baseman, took second on a balk and stole third.
UM came back with a run in the bottom of the third, 5-2, when Lovelady hit an RBI single up the middle to score Howard from second. Howard led off the inning with a single to centerfield and moved to second on a single from Mannix.
Javy Rodriguez extended the Hurricanes lead to 6-2 in the sixth with a sacrifice fly RBI to centerfield that scored Charlton Jimerson from third. Jimerson led off the inning with a bunt single followed by two stolen bases.
Josh Khoury started the seventh for the Dolphins in relief of Jason Ryals, who went 2.0 innings with two hits, one run (earned), one walk and one strikeout.
Miami will return to action the next weekend with Florida Southern in a three-game series, beginning next Friday. All three games, as well as broadcast over the Internet at hurricanesports.com and WVUM, can be heard on UM’s flagship station, Sports Radio 560 WQAM. WACC 830 AM will carry the Friday game in Spanish.
Call 1-800-GO-CANES for ticket information regarding the upcoming final regular season games. 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.
