9-4 Win Hands Baseball Series Win Over Tennessee
Feb. 3, 2002
Coral Gables, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) — – The University of Miami (2-1), ranked as high as No. 2 in the Baseball Weekly/ESPN Coaches Poll, scored eight runs over the seventh and eighth innings to surge past #25 Tennessee (1-2), 9-4, in front of 2,532 fans Sunday afternoon at Mark Light Stadium.
Trailing 4-1 going into the bottom of the seventh, Kevin Mannix and Matt Dryer hit back-to-back home runs to narrow the Volunteer lead, 4-3. The home runs were the first and second of the season for the Hurricanes.
Miami followed with a six-run eighth inning, paced by Kevin Howard’s two-RBI double to centerfield that started the scoring. With one out, Javy Rodriguez reached with a single deep to second base. Danny Figueroa then walked to put runners on first and second. Howard followed with his two-RBI double of UT reliever Dustin Johnson. Danny Matienzo then walked to put runners on first and second again. After a infield pop out from Mannix, Dryer knocked in Howard with a single to shallow left for the 6-4 advantage. Later in the frame with bases loaded, freshman Greg Dini hit a bases-clearing three-RBI single to right center for the 9-4 score.
UM reliever George Huguet (1-0) earned the win in relief, while UT reliever Brian St. Jean (0-1) took the loss.
Offensively, Rodriguez, Danny Figueroa and Dryer each had two hits, while Howard and Dini had three RBI apiece. Dryer had two RBI, as well with two runs scored. The UM bullpen handled five and two-thirds innings of scoreless baseball, allowing just three hits.
The Hurricanes started the scoring in the bottom of the first inning, 1-0, when Rodriguez scored from third on a 6-3 RBI ground out from Howard. Rodriguez led off the inning with a bunt single and took second on a balk by UT starter Jeff Terrell. He moved to third on a single from Danny Figueroa.
The Volunteers surged ahead in the fourth, 4-1, after scoring four runs, three earned, off Miami starter T.J. Prunty. Brandon Hopkins tied the game, 1-1, when he led off with a solo home run to right center. UT then put runners on first and second when Matt Sternberg reached on an error by second baseman Paco Figueroa and Hal Bibee on a walk. Ryan Moffett then hit the second home run of the inning, a three-run shot, off the top of the centerfield wall.
In the top of the sixth inning, with no outs and bases loaded on UM reliever Dan Touchet, Moffett hit into a triple play – the first at UM since the 1982 season. Herrera led off with a single to left field. Sternberg followed with a walk, while Bibee loaded the bases getting hit by a Touchet pitch. Moffett then laced a line drive right to Howard who tagged third, to get Herrera out, and threw the ball to first, forcing out Bibee. The last triple play by the Hurricanes was March 17, 1982 against Lewis College.
The Hurricanes return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 6 against Florida International at 7 p.m. at University Park. Miami returns to the Light next weekend as the Florida Gators come to town for a three-game series beginning Friday evening.
Game Notes:- Brandon Hopkins’ home run to start the fourth inning was the first hit at Mark Light Stadium in 2002 (both teams).- Kevin Howard assisted the Hurricanes to a rare triple play in the top of the sixth. It was the first triple play at UM since 1982 (Lewis College). There has only been five triple plays in the history of the program. Howard caught a line drive, tagged third for the second out and threw to first for the third out.- Kevin Mannix hit UM’s first home run of the season. Matt Dryer followed with the second home run of the season. The back-to-back shots were the first since UM did so against Tennessee in the 2001 CWS on 6/14/01 (Howard and Matienzo).
