Sixth-Inning Rally Sparks Hurricanes Past San Diego State, 6-3
Feb. 21, 2003
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (hurricanesports.com) – The University of Miami baseball team opened the weekend series with a 6-3 victory over San Diego State in front of 3,519 fans Friday night at Mark Light Field.
UM improved to 5-2 on the season, while SDSU fell to 5-6. The two clubs will continue the series on Saturday with the first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m. at ‘The Light.’
Miami starter Dan Touched (2-0) pitched seven strong innings with nine strikeouts to tie a career high. Junior pitcher J.D. Cockroft recorded his first save of the season, giving up only one hit and one run in three innings of relief. Dan Diego State reliever Joey Pace (0-1) took the loss for the Aztecs, giving up four earned runs and a walk in 1/3 of an inning.
Senior first baseman Jim Burt led the offense for the Hurricanes going 3-for-4 at the plate and scoring a run.
Miami’s offense started clicking in the sixth inning after the Aztecs went to the bullpen for Pace. Burt greeted Pace with a bloop singe to center field for his second hit of the night. Barton drew a walk and after a strikeout from Shannon, catcher Greg Dini delivered a RBI single to left field to score Burt.
Paco Figueroa then picked up RBIs number two and three with a line-drive single to right field, giving UM its first lead of the night at 4-2. Brother Danny Figueroa followed with a RBI single to right field and then stole his team-high fifth base of the season. Adam Ricks recorded Miami’s fourth straight single to score Danny and stake the Hurricanes to a 6-2 lead.
San Diego State starter Mike Moat’s night came to an end with one out in the fifth inning after giving up three hits and one run over 5.1 innings of work.
SDSU got on the scoreboard first in the fourth inning, as catcher Josh Allen drilled Touchet’s first offering over the left-center field fence to give the Aztecs a 2-0 lead.
Miami got its first hit of the night from Ricks to open the fourth inning and capitalized on it as Ryan Braun scored on a past ball from Allen.
The Hurricanes will continue the weekend series with San Diego State on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. at Mark Light Stadium.
