Miami Routs Boston College, 17-5
March 22, 2003
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Miami baseball team clinched the weekend-series with Boston College with a 17-5 victory over the Eagles in front of 2,402 fans Saturday night at Mark Light Field.
“I thought it was a good game for us,” Head Coach Jim Morris said. “First of all we played good defense and (Vince) Bongiovanni threw well. We swung the bat well and a lot of guys got hits. I thought it was a complete team effort.”
The No. 13th ranked Hurricanes improve their record to 19-4, while Boston College falls to 8-9.
Starting pitcher Vince Bongiovanni (4-1) recorded the win for the Hurricanes going 5.1 innings, giving up six hits, three runs and four walks with six strikeouts.
Sophomore Richard Giannotti led the Hurricanes at the plate going 3-for-3 with four RBIs, two runs scored and a mammoth home run to left field.
Miami jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning, scoring two runs on consecutive hits by Ryan Braun and Brian Barton. Danny Figueroa led off the inning with an infield single, moved to second on a sacrifice by Richard Giannotti and scored on Braun’s single. Barton followed with a double into the gap in right-center field, scoring Braun from first base.
The Hurricanes stretched their lead, 3-0, in the third inning on Barton’s single to center field scoring Danny Figueroa. Figueroa led off the inning with a single to left field, stole second base and moved to third on Giannotti’s single.
Miami extended the lead, 7-0, in the fourth inning scoring four runs on three hits and no errors. Giannotti highlighted the inning with a three-RBI bases-clearing double into the gap in left field scoring Danny Figueroa, Alex Blanco and Adam Ricks.
The Hurricanes blew the game open in the fifth inning, 13-1, scoring six runs on four hits. Giannotti continued an impressive performance highlighting the inning with a home run deep over the right field wall.
Boston College got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth inning on a two RBI double in the right-center field gap by designated hitter Ryan Morgan. Matt Lederhos touched up UM reliever Alex Perez for a two-run home run in the seventh inning to make the score 13-5.
Miami knocked in four more runs in the seventh giving the Hurricanes a 17-5 cushion.
The Hurricanes will complete the series with Boston College Sunday, March 23 at 1 p.m. at Mark Light Field on the UM campus.
