Baseball Slugs Minnesota 10-4
Feb. 15, 2002
Coral Gables, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – – The Hurricanes shook off a sluggish start to the 2002 season and ended its three-game slide with a 10-4 victory over visiting Minnesota in front of 2,804 fans Friday night at Mark Light Stadium. The win pushes UM’s record to 3-4, while Minnesota dropped to 0-1.
Miami will continue the series with Minnesota at 1 p.m. on Saturday, followed by the series conclusion on Sunday at Noon.
The Hurricanes victory also hands Head Coach Jim Morris his 900th at the Division I level (900-367-2 in 21 seasons as a D-1 head coach). Morris is 396-123-1 in nine seasons at Miami.
The Hurricanes put together their best offensive effort of the season with 16 hits and 10 RBI. Miami’s previous season-best was 10 hits and nine RBI accomplished in a 9-4 win over Tennessee on Feb. 3 and in a 12-9 loss to Florida on Feb. 8. The 10 runs scored were also a season-high ahead of the nine runs totaled in that 12-9 loss to the Gators.
Several Hurricanes also broke out offensively, as seven players had multiple hit performances. Each starter recorded a hit in the game. Miami hit four home runs in the game, the same amount it had totaled in the first six games of the season combined.
Kevin Howard gave the Hurricanes an early lead in the first, 1-0, with a solo home run to right center off Minnesota starter C.J. Woodrow (0-1).
With two outs showing in the second, Miami added three more runs on four consecutive hits for a 4-0 lead. Danny Matienzo scored the first run with his first home run of the season deep to right field. Jim Burt followed with a single to left field. Erick San Pedro then hit a single to right field, moving Burt to third. Javy Rodriguez scored both runners with a double to left field.
Minnesota answered back with two runs in the top of the third, 4-2, on one hit and one fielding error by UM. With two outs, Scott Howard reached first on a fielding error by the shortstop. After stealing second, he moved to third on a Troy Roberson wild pitch. Jason Kennedy then drew a walk and stole second. Gary Dick knocked both runners in with a single to centerfield.
In the third, UM added another run, 5-2, on Haas Pratt’s RBI single to centerfield to score Howard. Howard reached on a fielding error by the shortstop. After Danny Figueroa grounded out, Howard moved to third on a Kevin Mannix ground out just prior to Pratt’s at bat.
In the fourth, UM went ahead 6-2 on Burt’s solo home run over the scoreboard in left field.
Roberson earned his third no-decision in as many starts departing after 4.2 innings pitched with three hits, two unearned runs, three walks and five strikeouts. He left the game with bases loaded and was replaced by reliever J.D. Cockroft (2-0), who struck the final out of the inning. Woodrow took the loss after pitching 4.0 innings with 10 hits, six earned runs and one strikeout.
Matienzo extended the Hurricanes lead, 9-2, in the fifth with a three-run home run, his second of the inning, off the scoreboard. The home run also brought home Pratt and Matt Dryer. Pratt reached on a double down the left field line, while Dryer walked.
Miami continued its streak of scoring in each inning as Mannix singled in Howard from second base in the sixth, 10-2. Howard had reached on a two-out single and stole second.
Minnesota scored twice in the seventh to bring the score within 10-4 on three hits off reliever Ryan Dixon. Rob LaRue led off with a single to left field. Jeremy Beaulieu followed with a single to centerfield, moving LaRue to third. Chris Guetzlaff knocked in the first run with a sacrifice fly RBI to centerfield. After Scott Howard lined out, Kennedy doubled in Beaulieu with a double to centerfield.
The game started with former Hurricanes star infielder Dave Berg throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. Berg recently signed with the Toronto Blue Jays after spending his entire career with the Florida Marlins organization. Several other former Hurricanes were in attendance, including David Gil, Kevin Brown, Mike Rodriguez, Manny Crespo, Chris Sheffield, Brian Walker and Alex Prendes.
For more information on UM athletics and the Hurricane baseball team, log on to www.hurricanesports.com. For ticket information call 1-800 GO CANES.
