Five-Run Eighth Innings Sparks Miami Past the Vols, 8-4
March 8, 2003
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Richard Giannotti highlighted a five-run eighth inning for No. 14 Miami, as the Hurricanes came from behind to win their second straight game over No. 23 Tennessee, 8-4, in front of a season-high 3,105 fans at Lindsay Nelson Stadium.
“That was a huge hit by Richard Giannotti,” Head Coach Jim Morris said. “That triple was the game winner, and he hit it hard down the right-field line. The hit might not have put the game away, but it sure made it very difficult on (Tennessee) to come back.”
The 14th-ranked Hurricanes improved to 11-3 on the season, including four straight wins. The Volunteers dropped their third straight game to fall to 10-4 on the 2003 campaign.
Shawn Valdes-Fauli picked up his first win of the season with three innings of work. He scatter two Tennessee hits and did not allow a run. Bongiovanni pitched a solid 6.0 innings, giving up five hits and three earned runs in his first no decision of the season.
First baseman Jim Burt and Giannotti both collected two hits to pace the Hurricanes’ seven-hit attack.
With the bases loaded and one out in the eighth inning, Richard Giannotti ripped a triple deep into the right-field corner to empty the bases and give the Hurricanes the lead at 6-4.
Adam Ricks led off the inning with a walk and after Ryan Braun popped out the second baseman, Jim Burt singled off the glove the UT shortstop deep in the hole. A throwing error on the left fielder allowed the runners to advance to second and third base. UT Head Coach Rod Delmonico elected to intentionally walk Gaby Sanchez, who had three hits in the series, to face Giannotti who made him pay for the decision.
The inning wasn’t over for the Canes, as Tom Shannon drew a walk and Giannotti came around to score on a ground ball to the shortstop by Erick San Pedro. Shannon then scored on an error by the second baseman to give Miami an 8-4 advantage after a five-run inning.
No. 23 Tennessee took the early lead on solo home run by Michael Rivera in the bottom of the second inning.
UT starter Ben Riley led off the top of the third inning by issuing a walk to UM’s Paco Figueroa. Danny Figueroa followed with a line-drive single to center field. After Ricks sacrifice attempt failed, getting Paco forced out at third base, Braun ripped a single through the left side of the infield to tie the game at 1-1.
Sanchez continued his hot hitting with a double down the left-field line that scored Ricks and Braun for a 3-1 lead. The RBI extended Sanchez’s team-high total to 17.
Tennessee put two runners on with no outs, but UM squelched Kyle Norrid’s sacrifice bunt attempt, as Sanchez threw Nick Crowe out at third base. A past ball by Erick San Pedro allowed Rivera and Alex Suarez to move up to third and second base, respectively, before Josh Alley grounded out to shortstop to score Rivera. The Volunteers tied the score at 3-3 on a wild pitch from Bongiovanni.
The Volunteers knocked Bongiovanni out of the game in the bottom of the seventh inning with back-to-back doubles from Suarez and Norrid. Left-hander Andrew Cohn came into pitch for Bongiovanni and hit Alley, which got him replaced by Valdes-Fauli. Czarniecki then sacrificed Norrid and Alley over before Walter Sevilla grounded out to third base for the second out of the inning. Valdes-Fauli got out of the inning, as Ricks ranged deep up the middle to field the Brian Cleveland ground ball and throw him out at first base.
The three-game series will conclude Sunday, March 9, at 1 p.m. at Lindsay Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn.
