Braun's 11th-Inning Home Run Fuels Hurricanes Past South Florida, 3-2
March 11, 2003
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (hurricanesports.com) – Miami freshman Ryan Braun cracked an 11th-inning home run off the foul pole in left field to beat South Florida, 3-2, in front of 1,447 fans at Mark Light Stadium.
“Ryan (Braun) came through with the big hit for us tonight,” Head Coach Jim Morris said. “That home run was as clutch as it comes. I though it was going foul, but it hit off the left-field foul pole.”
The home run was Braun’s team-high fifth of the season. It extended his hitting streak to a team-high nine games.
UM starter Ryan Dixon turned in turned in the best performance of his career. The sophomore pitched a career-best 5.2 innings with five strikeouts, while only allowing two hits and one run. UM closer George Huguet worked 2.1 innings to get is first win of the season.
The win improved No. 13 Miami’s record to 13-3 on the season, while South Florida fell to 11-5.
South Florida’s David Austen pitched 9.0 impressive innings. He only allowed five UM hits and two runs, while striking out seven Hurricanes and throwing 105 pitches.
USF got on the scoreboard first in the top of the fifth inning, as the Bulls designated hitter launched a solo home run over the right-field fence.
Jim Burt got the Hurricanes on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning with a RBI double over the head of the center fielder to score Danny Figueroa. Figueroa singled past the third baseman to open the inning.
Consecutive wild pitches from UM reliever Shawn Valdes-Fauli put South Florida back on top 2-1 in the top of the seventh inning. The run broke a string of 10.1 scoreless innings by the Miami bullpen.
Brian Barton led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a triple over the head of the Bulls’ right fielder. Left fielder Tom Shannon then came through with his first hit of the night, a single into left field, to score Barton and tie the game at 2-2.
Devin Ivany led off the ninth inning with a double off the left-field wall. Scott Rachlin then sacrificed Ivany to third base and Valdes-Fauli then struck Ronnie Handley out looking. Valdes-Fauli then gave way to Huguet, who struck Travis Brown out.
The two teams will play again on Wednesday, March 12, at 5 p.m. at Mark Light Field.
