Braun's 8th-Inning Double Propels Hurricanes Past No. 2 Georgia Tech, 7-6
March 28, 2003
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (hurricanesports.com) – The University of Miami’s No. 13 baseball team defeated No. 2 Georgia Tech, 7-6, staging a three-run eighth-inning comeback in front of 3,215 fans Friday night at Mark Light Field.
Ryan Braun led the comeback in the eighth with a two-RBI double down the left-field line scoring pinch runners Joey Hooft and Paco Figueroa, giving the Hurricanes a 7-6 lead. Braun finished the game going 3-for-5 with three RBI, a run scored and a solo home run deep over the left field wall.
Jim Burt led off the eighth inning reaching on a catcher’s interference, moved to second on Erick San Pedro’s single to right field and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Adam Ricks. After Alex Blanco drew a walk, Burt scored on a hit-by-pitch to Danny Figueroa. One out later, Braun knocked in two runs with the double into left.
The 13th-ranked Hurricanes improve to 21-4, while Georgia Tech falls to 21-3 on the season.
” If we want to move up in the polls we have to beat the top ten, top five teams in the country,” said head baseball coach Jim Morris.
Relief pitcher Israel Chirino (1-0) recorded the win for the Hurricanes going one inning giving up only one walk, while striking out a batter. Starter J.D. Cockroft (4-0) took a no decision going a career-high seven innings, giving up eight hits, six runs (four earned), three walks, while striking out a career-high seven batters.
Miami jumped on top, 3-0, in the bottom of the second inning, sparked by a two-RBI single by Alex Blanco. Brian Barton led off the inning with a walk and after stealing second, he eventually scored on a bases-loaded walk to Adam Ricks.
Braun led off the third inning with a monster home run over the scoreboard in left field to push the UM lead to 4-0.
Georgia Tech made it 4-3 in the fifth inning on two hits and two Blanco errors at shortstop, while Cockroft walked in a run.
The Yellow Jackets tied the game, 4-4, in the sixth inning with a solo homerun over the center field wall by Tyler Greene off of J.D. Cockroft.
Georgia Tech took the lead in the eighth, 6-4, on a two-run home run to left center by Micah Owings scoring Mike Nickeas, who reached on a single to right.
The Hurricanes are back in action against Georgia Tech Saturday, March 29 at 7 p.m. at Mark Light Field on the UM campus.
