Hurricanes Complete Sweep of No. 2 Georgia Tech, 17-16
March 30, 2003
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (hurricanesports.com) – The 13th-ranked Miami baseball team won a wild rain-shortened seven-inning affair, 17-16, Sunday afternoon over second-ranked Georgia Tech in front of 1,937 fans at Mark Light Field.
The two teams combined for 33 runs, 25 hits, seven errors and 23 walks. Shawn Valdes-Fauli, UM’s fifth pitcher of the day, picked up the win (2-0) with 2.1 innings of relief. He allowed one run and one hit, while pitching in a steady rain. UM starter Brandon Camardese went one-plus inning, allowing eight runs one four hits and five walks.
“We could have given up early after their nine-run second inning,” Head Coach Jim Morris said. “But our hitters kept battling and got us right back in the game. The pitching wasn’t pretty with balls flying out of the yard all day .”
At the plate, Ryan Braun led the way with a 3-for-5 performance, including his team-high ninth home run of the season, a tape-measure shot to left field. He also accounted for a career-high five RBIs and four runs scored.
The Miami win improved its record to 23-4 on the season, including nine straight wins. The sweep of Georgia Tech was UM’s first since taking three games from the Ramblin Wreck at Mark Light Field in 2000. The second-ranked Yellow Jackets fall to 21-5 on the season.
Georgia Tech sent six different pitchers to the mound with Kyle Schmidt (1-1) taking the loss after giving up two runs on zero hits in one inning of work. The Yellow Jackets’ starter, Brian Burks, lasted 1.2 innings allowing seven runs on eight hits.
With the score tied a 15-15 headed into the bottom of the sixth inning, walks to Brian Barton and Gaby Sanchez doomed the Yellow Jackets. Barton came around to score on a wild pitch and Sanchez scored on a sacrifice fly to give UM a 17-15 lead.
Georgia Tech would get one run back in the top of the seventh on a RBI single off the bat of Matt Murton. Murton finished the game 4-for-5 with four RBIs and three runs scored to pace the Yellow Jackets.
The Yellow Jackets appeared to have things in control after a nine-run second inning that saw 10 consecutive Tech hitters reach base. But Miami always seemed to have the answer, scoring three runs in the bottom of the second inning and seven more in the third inning to take a 14-11 lead.
The Hurricanes showcased their home run power in the third inning with Braun getting things started with a three-run shot deep to left field. Sanchez and Jim Burt followed with back-to-back solo home runs later in the inning, both clearing the left-field fence without the Tech left fielder moving.
Miami will return the diamond on Wednesday, April 2, as Florida Atlantic visits Mark Light Field for a 7 p.m. contest. UM will then welcome Oral Roberts to town over the weekend with games at 7 p.m. (Friday), 5 p.m. (Saturday) and 1 p.m. (Sunday).
