Baseball Falls In The 13th 9-7 To FSU
April 7, 2002
Tallahasse, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – Florida State freshman shortstop Stephen Drew hit a walk-off three-run home run in the bottom of the 13th inning to hand the 10th-ranked Seminoles (30-11) a 9-7 victory over Miami (18-15) in front of 4,096 fans Sunday afternoon at Dick Howser Stadium.
After Bongiovanni (0-3) retired the FSU side in the 11th and 12th innings, he allowed got one out into the 13th before allowing walks to Jeff Probst and Kevin Richmond. Drew then took a 1-0 count over the fence in right field to end the game.
FSU had rallied back twice in the late innings, including George Huguet walking in the tying run in the bottom of the ninth. The Hurricane defense and pitching held the tie the remainder of the ninth and 10th even after the Seminoles had loaded the bases with no outs in each inning.
Miami went ahead in the top of the 13th, 7-6, on Paco Figueroa’s grounder that was misplayed by Drew, allowing Haas Pratt to score from third. Pratt led off the inning with a double to right field and moved to third on Danny Figueroa’s second sacrifice bunt of the game.
FSU reliever Daniel Davidson (4-0) earned the win in relief going the final 0.2 innings with one walk.
UM starter Kiki Bengochea took a no-decision going 6.0 innings with eights, five runs (four earned), two walks and seven strikeouts. The seven strikeouts were a season-high for Bengochea. FSU starter Blair Varnes also scored a no-decision as he went 6.2 innings with eight hits, four earned runs, one walk, seven strikeouts and one hit batter. The seven strikeouts tied his season-high.
The UM bullpen consisting of J.D. Cockroft, Shawn Valdes-Fauli and Andrew Cohn kept FSU scoreless in the seventh. Huguet then retired the side in the eighth.
In the first inning, the Hurricanes loaded the bases with no outs, but strikeouts to Danny Matienzo and Jim Burt followed by a ground out from Matt Dryer ended the early threat. Brad Safchik led off with a double down the left field line. Javy Rodriguez moved him over with a bunt single to the pitcher. Rodriguez then stole second to put both runners in scoring position. Kevin Howard drew a walk to load the bases.
FSU took advantage of a Miami miscue in the bottom of the first, 2-0, scoring two runs off Ryan Barthelemy’s bloop single to centerfield. On the play, Barthelemy took a Bengochea full-count pitch to shallow center scoring Stephen Drew from third. UM centerfielder Danny Figueroa threw the relay past Matienzo at home plate allowing Nick Rogers to come around to score, unearned, from second.
Safchik assisted Miami in taking the lead, 4-2, in the top of the second with his first career home run, a grand slam, to left center. Safchik’s shot scored Kevin Mannix, Danny Figueroa and Paco Figueroa. Mannix led off the inning get hit by a Varnes pitch. Both Figueroa’s had bunt singles to load the bases.
Richie Smith homered to left field off Bengochea in the fourth to narrow Miami’s lead, 4-3.
Chris Hart put the Seminoles ahead, 5-4, in the sixth with a two-RBI double down the right field line scoring Barthelemy and Tony McQuade. Barthelemey reached on a double to right field, while McQuade walked.
The Hurricanes recaptured the lead, 6-5, in the eighth with Kevin Lynch on the mound for the Seminoles. Burt led off with a double down the left field line and moved to third on Dryer’s ground out to second base. Burt would then score the tying run on Mannix’ double to right field. Mannix was replaced with pinch runner Joey Hooft, who went to third on Danny Figueroa’s sacrifice bunt. Paco Figueroa would knock in the go-ahead run, Hooft, with a single to right field.
Miami and Florida State will return to action next weekend at Mark Light Stadium in Coral Gables with a three-game series beginning Friday at 7 p.m. Game times for the Coral Gables series continue on Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
All three games can be heard over the Internet at www.hurricanesports.com or on the student voice of the Hurricanes, WVUM 90.5 FM. The Saturday and Sunday games will be televised on tape-delay on Fox Sports Net Florida. The Friday night game will also be broadcasted on UM’s Spanish Broadcast Network on WACC 830 AM Radio Paz.
For more information on University of Miami athletics log on to hits newly designed website www.hurricanesports.com, the official site for all Hurricane news, tickets and apparel. For Hurricane ticket information call 1-800-GO CANES.
