Baseball Falls To South Florida 7-6 In Series Opener
March 8, 2002
Coral Gables, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – – South Florida (7-7) ended a seven-game losing streak to the Hurricanes (9-7) with a 7-6 victory over Miami Friday night in front of 2,180 fans at Mark Light Stadium.
The Hurricanes committed four errors in the game leading to four unearned runs and the Bulls scored each of their seven runs with two outs showing. UM used seven pitchers in the game was out hit by USF in the game, 12-10. USF last defeated Miami 15-2 in the final game of a three-game series in Coral Gables during the 1998 season.
USF starter John Gorham (2-3) earned the win for the Bulls, while UM’s Brandon Camardese (0-2) scored the loss. Gorham went 7.1 innings with eight hits, six runs (four earned), one walk, six strikeouts and one hit batter in 114 pitches. It was Gorham’s first win over Miami in four tries coming into the game with a 0-3 record vs. the Hurricanes. Keith Strickland earned his first save for the Bulls.
South Florida struck early scoring once in the top of the first as Myron Leslie came home from third on a failed pick-off attempt to first base by catcher Danny Matienzo. With two outs, Leslie reached on a ground ball single to right field. He moved to third on Chris Cuccia’s line drive single to right field.
Matienzo put the Hurricanes ahead, 2-1, in the bottom of the first on his home run deep over the scoreboard in left field, also scoring Kevin Howard. A batter earlier, Howard reached on a grounder past the third baseman. The home run was Matienzo’s team-best eighth on the season.
The Hurricanes went ahead, 3-1, in the second on Haas Pratt’s RBI double down the right field line to score Jim Burt from first. Burt reached on a line drive single to left field.
Miami added another run, 4-1, in the third on Matienzo’s sacrifice fly RBI to right field scoring Javy Rodriguez from third. Rodriguez led off with a single to centerfield, stole second and moved to third on Howard’s ground out to first base.
The Bulls narrowed the UM lead, 4-3, in the fourth when Pratt dropped a two-out pop up at first allowing two runs to score. With one out, Mike Barclay singled to right field. After Devin Ivany flied out for the second out of the inning, Bill Nahorodny singled to right field moving Barclay to third. Mike Cunningham was then hit by a Prunty pitch to load the bases. The two runs then came in, Barclay and Nahorodny, on Mike Macaluso’s pop up towards Pratt.
Prunty was replaced in the sixth with Camardese, who allowed a RBI double down the left field line by Cunningham to score Barclay from third and tie the score at 4-4. Barclay doubled deep to left center and moved to third on a Camardese wild pitch. The Bulls went ahead, 5-4, on Howard’s throwing error to first on a Macaluso grounder that allowed Cunningham to come in. Reliever Vince Vazquez retired the final batter of the inning.
Prunty’s final line reads a no decision with 5.2 innings pitched, eight hits, four runs (one earned), one walk, four strikes, one hit by pitch in 92 pitches.
USF built a three-run lead, 7-4, in the seventh off Ivany’s two-out, two-run double to left field that scored Cuccia and Kris Courier. Cuccia reached on a double to right field, while Courier walked.
The Hurricanes narrowed USF’s lead, 7-6, in the eighth on Matt Dryer’s two-RBI single to left field scoring Rodriguez and Howard. With one out, Rodriguez reached on a throwing error by the third baseman. Howard then singled up the middle, followed by a single to left field from Matienzo. After Kevin Mannix popped up to the second baseman, Dryer had his RBI double to left field.
Miami and South Florida continue the series Saturday evening at 7 p.m., followed by the series conclusion on Sunday at 1 p.m. Both games can be heard on the student voice of the Hurricanes, WVUM 90.5 FM. Sunday afternoon’s contest will also be televised by Fox Sports Net Florida.
Log on to www.hurricanesports.com for updated news on the University of Miami athletics program, tickets and apparel. For ticket information call the Hurricane ticket box office at 1-800 GO CANES.
