Miami Sweeps Season Series With #13 Florida 8-7
Feb. 10, 2001
Coral Gables, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) — – Catcher Mike DiRosa had a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning to score Charlton Jimerson to give the University of Miami baseball team (6-1), ranked as high as fourth nationally by Baseball America, a sweep of the season series with 13th-ranked Florida (1-3) with a 8-7 victory in front of 5,271 fans at Mark Light Stadium.
Danny Matienzo led off the ninth with a double to right center off UF reliever Keith Ramsey (0-1), followed by a walk to Kevin Mannix. Mike Rodriguez then contributed a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over a base. Following an intentional walk to Kevin Brown to load the bases, Mike DiRosa, who had sat out nearly entire game with a bruised right shoulder suffered in Friday night’s 10-4 victory over the Gators, hit a hard grounder past a diving Gator shortstop to score Jimerson for the winning margin.
Luke DeBold (1-1), who lost the save opportunity, scored the victory. The two-day attendance total of 9,694 was a high for the Florida/Miami seris in Coral Gables since 11,342 came to the park for the match-up in 1989.
The win over the Gators also extended UM’s home dominance over Florida to 12 consecutive games dating back to the 1996 season.
Florida came out strong in the top of the second inning with four runs off four hits on UM starter Tom Farmer. With one out, Farmer had consecutive walks to Jason Dill and Ryan Shealy. The next batter, Matt Goss, singled to right field to score Dill. Shealy was tagged out on the play at third base. Brian Rose then doubled to right center to bring in Goss for the 2-0 lead. Kevin Estrada followed up with a triple to right center to bring in Rose. At the top of the order, Aaron Davidson brought in the fourth run, Estrada, with a single to left field.
Kris Clute brought the Hurricanes within two runs in the bottom of the second, 4-2, with a full count, two out, two-RBI single off UF starter Jay Belflower to centerfield that scored Matienzo and Mike Rodriguez. Matienzo led off the inning with an infield single to second base. After a Mannix pop out, Mike Rodriguez successfully bunted to third base moving Matienzo to second. Belflower then walked Brown to load the bases. After striking out Greg Lovelady, Clute had his two-RBI single.
Shealy led off the fourth inning with a first-pitch home run deep to right field off Farmer to put UF up 5-2.
Clute once again assisted the Hurricanes to narrow the UF lead, 5-3, with a sacrifice fly RBI in the bottom of the fourth that scored Mike Rodriguez from third. Rodriguez led off the inning with a double to left center and moved to third on Brown’s single to right field.
Miami took its first lead of the game, 6-5, in the bottom of the fifth off three hits, including a Mike Rodriguez two-run home run deep to right field. Kevin Howard led off the inning with a double to left field. Following a Matienzo strikeout, Howard moved to third and then scored on a pair of wild pitches from Belflower. Mannix reached base with a single to left field prior to Rodriguez’ homer to right field, his first of the season.
The Hurricanes added to their lead in the bottom of the seventh on Matienzo’s solo home run to right field, his second on the season, to go up 7-5.
Florida came back in the eighth off closer Luke DeBold, who entered in relief of Jeff Reboin with runners on first and third, with two runs off three hits to tie the game 7-7. Pinch-hitter David Klebonis led off the inning with a double to right center. Following an infield pop out from Rose, Estrada singled to right field, advancing Klebonis to third. With DeBold now on the mound, Davidson hit a sacrifice fly RBI to left field to score Klebonis. Matt Siegel followed up with a double to left center that scored the tying run, Estrada.
Offensively, UM totaled a season-best 14 hits in the game led by Matienzo and Mike Rodriguez‘ three hits apiece. Clute led all players with three RBI.
The Hurricanes will conclude the weekend with 19th-ranked Oklahoma State on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Mark Light Stadium. Fox Sports Net Florida will televise the game live. UM’s flagship stations Sports Radio 560 WQAM and WACC 830 AM Radio Paz (Spanish) will carry the game, as well as on the student voice of the Hurricanes WVUM 90.5 FM. The game can also can be heard over the internet at www.hurricanesports.com.
Call 1-800 GO CANES for season and individual game ticket information or check out UM’s official athletic website, www.hur ricanesports.com, for updated information regarding the baseball team.
