Hurricanes Score Five Runs in 8th; Cruise Past Florida, 9-2
Feb. 14, 2003
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Miami scored five runs in the eighth inning behind a three-run home run from Brian Barton to upend Florida, 9-2, in front of 2,226 fans at McKethan Stadium Friday night.
With two outs in the top of the eighth and the score tied at 2-2, Adam Ricks roped a double down the right-field line to start Miami’s five-run rally. Gaby Sanchez followed Ricks’ double with his third RBI of the night, as his hard ground ball took a wicked hop over the second baseman’s head to give the Hurricanes’ their first lead of the night at 3-2. Sanchez advanced to second on an infield hit by Braun. Jim Burt then drilled a single to left field, scoring Sanchez and increasing the UM lead to 4-2.
With a 3-2 count, Brian Barton hit a three-run home run into the left-field bleachers. The home run was his second of the season and his ninth, 10th and 11th RBIs of the season, giving the Hurricanes a 7-2 lead heading into the Florida half of the eighth inning. J.D. Cockroft relieved starter Dan Touchet (1-0) in the eighth after seven innings of seven-hit, two-run baseball with both of his runs unearned.
UM (4-1) tacked on two insurance runs in the ninth with back-to-back doubles down the right-field line from Danny Figueroa and Adam Ricks. Figueroa’s RBI was the first of the season.
Danny Figueroa continued his hitting terror, going 4-for-5, including a triple, double and his first RBI if the season. Until his ground out in the eighth inning, Figueroa had reached base 10 consecutive times, collecting seven hits along the way. After his double in the ninth inning, he now has eight hits in his last nine at bats and two consecutive four-hit games. Sanchez also turned in an outstanding performance, pounding out three hits.
Danny Figueroa got the Hurricanes off to a quick start on the second pitch of the game, tripling off the right-field wall. With one out, Sanchez lined the first pitch he saw from Florida starter Connor Falkenbach (1-1) into the left-center field gap to score Figueroa and stake Miami to an early 1-0 lead.
UF’s catcher Matt Cresap led off the bottom of the third inning with a single to right field. Leadoff hitter Brett Dowdy then lined a single to left field. Touchet made a great play on Jeff Corsaletti’s sacrifice bunt, getting the force out of Cresap at third base. With runners at first and second base, Touchet worked out of trouble striking out the heart of the Florida lineup in three-hole hitter Ben Harrison and clean-up hitter Mario Graza to retire the side.
Touchet looked strong again in the fourth inning, striking out two and receiving a nice defensive play from shortstop Paco Figueroa, who ranged to his left and picked a hard-hit grounder headed for centerfield and threw UF’s Stephen Barton.
The Gators finally got to Touchet in the fifth inning as Cresap reached on an error by UM second baseman Ryan Braun and Corsaletti single to put runners at first and second base. Centerfielder Ben Harrison followed with a double that allowed Cresap to score from second. Corsaletti also came around to score, as right fielder Brian Barton misplayed the ball for the Hurricanes’ second error of the inning.
Danny Figueroa led off the sixth inning with his third hit of the night that chased Falkenbach from the game after five innings of five hit one run baseball. UM put the hit-and-run on to move Figueroa up to second as Adam Ricks grounded out to the second baseman. He then moved to third as UF reliever Adam Sanabria threw a pick off attempt into centerfield. UF countered with another pitching change, bringing in right-hander Darren O’Day to face Sanchez. Sanchez greeted O’Day with a high-chopping single on an 0-2 pitch to third base that scored Figueroa to tie the score at 2-2.
Cresap reached first on a Sanchez fielding error with one out in the seventh inning and advanced to second on his throwing error on the same play. Touchet followed with his eighth strikeout of the game by fanning Dowdy. Corsaletti then grounded out to shortstop for the second out of the inning and Harrison grounded out the pitcher to end the threat.
The two teams will return to action Saturday, Feb. 15, at 2 p.m. here at McKethan Stadium. For more information check out Miami’s official athletic website www.hurricanesports.com for updated information on the baseball team.
