Baseball Falls To South Florida 13-7
March 9, 2002
Coral Gables, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – – South Florida (8-7), for the second straight night, took advantage of an error prone Miami with a 13-7 win over the Hurricanes (9-8) in front of 2,481 fans at Mark Light Stadium Saturday evening. Miami committed a season-high seven errors in the game.
With wins on Friday and Saturday night over Miami, South Florida won its first series over the Hurricanes in Coral Gables since the annual meetings begin in 1967. It was the second all-time series loss to the Bulls with the first coming in Tampa during the 1984 season.
USF reliever Jeremy Fortner (1-0) scored the win, while UM starter Kiki Bengochea (1-4) took the loss. Fortner went 4.1 innings, five hits, two earned runs, three walks and two strikeouts in relief of USF starter Jason Bartz.
South Florida opened up the scoring, 3-0, in the top of the third inning as the Hurricanes committed two errors and allowed two unearned runs. Bill Nahorodny led off with a line drive home run to left field off Bengochea. Bill Cunningham followed by reaching on a fielding error off a bunt by Bengochea and took second on the errant throw to first. After stealing third Cunningham scored two batters later on Jeff Baisley’s grounder to the shortstop. Baisley remained at first due to Javy Rodriguez’ errant throw. Baisley scored the final run of the inning when he came around on Myron Leslie’s double deep to centerfield.
Miami answered in the bottom of the third to take a 5-3 lead as the Hurricanes knocked Bartz from the mound and sent 10 batters to the plate. Brad Safchik led off with a double down the left field line. He moved to third on Rodriguez’ successful bunt single down the third base line. Rodriguez next moved to second on Kevin Howard’s fly out to centerfield. Danny Matienzo narrowed the score to 3-2 with his two-RBI single to right field to score Safchik and Rodriguez. Matienzo moved to second on the play as the outfield throw was to the homeplate. Kevin Mannix walked to put runners on first and third. The score was then tied at 3-3 as Matt Dryer knocked in Matienzo with a single to left field. Dryer also moved to second on the play when the throw from the outfield went to the plate. Both Mannix and Dryer scored on the next at bat as UM grabbed a 5-3 lead on Jim Burt’s single centerfield. Burt moved to second on the play when the throw from the outfield went to home plate.
Bartz went 2.1 innings with six hits, five earned runs, two walks and one strikeout in 43 pitchers. He was replaced with Fortner.
South Florida responded by sending 10 players to the plate and grabbed a 9-5 lead as Bengochea was knocked from the mound after the Bulls scored six runs. Devin Ivany tied the score, 5-5, on his two-run homer to right centerfield. Ivany’s home run also scored Barclay, who led off with a double down the left field line. Nahorodny and Cunningham each singled to right field, followed by a walk to Mike Macaluso to load the bases. Baisley cleared the bases with his single to right field that got by Mannix. Baisley went to third on the play. He then scored on Leslie’s single to right field. Cuccia reached on a fielding error by second baseman Joey Hooft with Leslie going to second on the play. Kris Courier, the ninth batter, recorded the first out with a fly out to left field. Barclay, who led off the inning, hit into a double play to end the inning.
Bengochea, who was replaced with reliever J.D. Cockroft, went 3.0 innings with nine hits, nine runs (six earned), one walk, three strikeouts, one wild pitch and one hit batter. Cockroft was replaced with Ryan Dixon after two batters.
The Bulls added two more runs, 11-5, in the fifth inning off UM’s sixth error. Ivany singled past the shortstop. Nahorodny doubled just over first base to put runners on second and third. Both runners came in on a fielding error by Dryer on a Cunningham grounder to first base.
Howard gave UM its sixth run in the sixth inning, 11-6, on a solo home run, his fifth, deep to right field.
Burt led off the seventh inning with a solo home run to left field, his fourth on the season, to bring the score within 11-7.
Leslie put the Bulls up 12-7 in the ninth with a solo home run to right center off reliever Vince Vazquez. Barclay put the Bulls up 13-7 with his RBI single up the middle to bring Cuccia home from third.
Miami and South Florida conclude the series on Sunday at 1 p.m. The contest will be televised by Fox Sports Net Florida and can be heard on the student voice of the Hurricanes, WVUM 90.5 FM.
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.
