Miami Baseball Defeats Jacksonville 10-6
May 19, 2002
Coral Gables, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – The University of Miami baseball team (27-26) took the weekend series with visiting Jacksonville (26-29) by defeating the Dolphins 10-6 Sunday afternoon in front of 516 fans at Mark Light Stadium.
Hurricane reliever J.D Cockroft (4-0) recorded the win for the Hurricanes, giving up three hits and two walks while striking out three in a career-high 3 2/3 innings. Starter Troy Roberson (2-1) recorded a no-decision pitching two innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits, three walks, two wild pitches and three strikeouts.
Jacksonville relief pitcher Jason Ryals (2-2) scored the loss going 1/3 inning giving up two runs, two walks and two wild pitches.
Miami first baseman Jim Burt led the Hurricane offense going 3-for-5, with three runs scored, five RBI, including a two-run homerun to right center.
Jacksonville scored the game’s first two runs, 2-0, the second inning on Tom Alford’s two-out, two-RBI single to right field that scored Alex Jamieson, walked, and Jarvis Fraser, single to left center.
Miami answered in the bottom of the second with one run, 2-1, on Paco Figueroa’s RBI single to left field that drove in Jim Burt from second. Burt reached on an infield single and moved to second on a Greg Dini walk. Miami left the inning with bases loaded.
Jacksonville loaded the bases on Roberson in the third inning, before UM replaced him with T.J. Prunty. JU would end up scoring once, 3-1, on Dini’s fielding error at the plate that allowed Rob Hudson to score. On the play, Chad Hauseman had a fielder’s choice grounder to second and on the relay home for the force out was dropped by Dini.
The Hurricanes answered in the bottom of the third, 5-3, scoring four runs on three hits. With bases loaded and no outs, Burt drove in Kevin Howard and Danny Matienzo with a single to centerfield. Howard had walked to lead off the inning and Matienzo singled. Dini knocked in the thrid run of the inning, Richard Giannotti from third, with an infield single to first base. Giannotti earlier walked and moved to third on Burt’s two-RBI single. The final run of the inning came in Danny Figueroa’s sacrifice fly RBI to centerfield that scored Burt.
JU narrowed the lead to one run, 5-4, on Alford’s solo home run to lead off the fourth inning.
Miami earned the run back in the fifth, 6-4, on Paco Figueroa’s RBI bloop single to centerfield that scored Dini from third. Dini had doubled down the left field line and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from Danny Figueroa.
Jacksonville tied the game, 6-6, in the sixth with reliever Shawn Valdes-Fauli on the mound. Jason Hurst led off with a walk. Hudson followed with an RBI triple to right center. Chad Oliva then singled to centerfield to score Hudson. Valdes-Fauli was replaced with J.D. Cockroft.
The Hurricanes scored three runs in the sixth to jump ahead 9-6. UM broke the tie and took the lead when Howard scored from third on a Jason Ryals wild pitch. Howard led off with his fourth walk in the game, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Matienzo and then to third on a wild pitch. Giannotti followed with a walk. Burt would put UM ahead 9-6 with his two-run home run to right center.
Miami extended its lead 10-6 in the eighth on Burt’s fielder’s choice scoring Matienzo from third. Matienzo led off the inning with a single to right, advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a base hit by Giannotti.
The game started 47 minutes late due to a rain delay.
Miami returns to action next weekend with New York Tech for a three-game series at Mark Light Stadium. Game times with New York Tech are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.
All three games can be over the Internet at www.hurricanesports.com or on the student voice of the Hurricanes, WVUM 90.5 FM. The Hurricanes’ flagship station Sports Radio 560 WQAM will also be carrying the Saturday game, while UM’s Spanish Broadcast Network on WACC 830 AM Radio Paz will air the Friday and Saturday games. Fox Sports Net Florida will be televising the Sunday game.
For more information on University of Miami athletics log on to its 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.
