Hurricanes Complete Sweep with 10-4 Win over Tennessee
March 9, 2003
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (hurricanesports.com) – Miami completed a three-game sweep of the 23rd-ranked Tennessee Volunteers on Sunday afternoon with a 10-4 win at Lindsay Nelson Stadium in front of 2,224 fans.
“This was a huge win to finish off the sweep of an outstanding program like Tennessee,” Miami Head Coach Jim Morris, “They are a top 20 ball club, and to come into their park and get a sweep is a big step for our team.”
Miami improved its record to 12-3, including five straight wins heading into a two game series with South Florida that begins on Tuesday, March 11, at 7 p.m. Tennessee fell to 10-5 and have now lost five of its last six games.
Brandon Camardese pitched a career-high 6.1 innings, giving up six hits and four runs, while striking out two and walking four. The win improved his record to 3-0 on the season.
The big inning for the Hurricanes came in the sixth as UM finally did some damage against the Vols freshman right-hander Luke Hochevar with five runs on six straight hits. The big blow came off the bat of Brian Barton, who made his first start since March 2 against San Diego State, with a three-run home run to left-center field.
Catcher Greg Dini hit Hochevar’s next pitch over the left-field wall for his fist home run of the season. Paco Figueroa then doubled and came around to scored on brother Danny’s RBI single. Adam Ricks followed with another single. Ryan Braun then doubled off the glove of the third baseman to score Danny Figueroa to make it 7-4.
Hochevar left with two outs in the sixth inning after giving up 11 hits and the first seven runs of his career. He had pitched the first 24 innings of his career without giving up an earned before Barton’s home run.
Marcelo Albir replaced Camardese with one out in the seventh inning and induced a 4-6-3 double play that started with a diving stop by Ricks at second base.
Miami added three insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning with a sacrifice fly by Richard Giannotti that scored Jim Burt to get things started. Barton and Dini followed with their second hits of the day. Paco Figueroa then ripped a two RBI double into the right-centerfield gap for the final margin.
It didn’t take long for the Volunteers to get to Camardese, as the two-hole hitter Michael Rivera singled up the middle and Javi Herrera doubled into the left-center field gap. With runners on second and third base, Camardese got Alex Suarez to strike out, but walked Brian Cleveland to load the bases.
Camardese walked his second straight batter, issuing a free pass to Brett Crowe to score Rivera and give the Vols a 1-0 lead. The UM starter got out of the inning with his second strikeout, getting Chad LeGate swinging.
UM tied the game in the top of the third inning, as Paco Figueroa scored from second base on an infield single by Ricks and a throwing error by the UT shortstop Cleveland. Figueroa led off the inning with a well struck single up the middle.
With two outs in the third inning, Camardese walked Cleveland a gave up a two-run home run to left fielder Chad LeGate. The home run was first home run of the sophomore’s career.
Camardese gave up his second home run of the day with two outs, as Rivera hit an opposite-field solo home run to give UT a 4-1 lead in the fourth inning.
