Hurricanes Fall to FAU in 13 innings, 5-3
April 2, 2003
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (hurricanesports.com) – The 7th-ranked Miami baseball team lost, 5-3, to 17th-ranked FAU in 13 innings Wednesday night at Mark Light Field in front of 1,647 fans.
The loss snaps Miami’s eight-game winning streak and drops the Hurricanes to 23-5 on the season. Florida Atlantic improved to 28-7 with the win.
With the score tied at 3-3 in the top of the 13th inning, FAU scored two runs on two hits and a Miami error to seal the win. Evan Brannon drove in the winning run with a single, scoring Joe Yeager who pinch ran for Shaen O’Connor. O’Connor reached on an error by UM shortstop Paco Figueroa earlier in the inning. Matt Ryan put down a perfect squeeze bunt to score the Owls’ final run.
Trailing 3-2 in the eighth inning, Miami tied things up with a RBI double off the bat of Ryan Braun. The double scored Richard Giannotti from first base who had singled one batter earlier.
Erick San Pedro singled to lead off the ninth inning and Adam Ricks followed with another single that advanced pinch runner Joey Hooft to third base. After striking out Paco Figueroa, FAU starter Danny Core hit Danny Figueroa with his last pitch of the night, as Chris Sexton came on to pitch face Richard Giannotti. Sexton struck Giannotti out and got Ryan Braun to pop up on a 3-1 pitch to end the inning.
Sexton earned the win for FAU with 4.2 innings of work, while holding UM without a run. Core pitched 8.1 innings, allowing eight hits and three runs, while throwing 149 pitches. Marcelo Albir took the loss for Miami to fall to 1-1 on the season. UM starter Ryan Dixon pitched a career-best six innings, giving up three runs on five hits, while striking out six and walking six.
Ricks collected four hits in six at bats to pace Miami’s offensive attack.
Florida Atlantic took a 1-0 lead in the second inning as UM catcher Erick San Pedro launched a pickoff attempt at third base into left field.
The Owls went on top 3-0 in the third inning on a two-run home run off the bat of Rusty Brown.
The Hurricanes got two runs back in the fifth inning on a two-out double off the bat of Paco Figueroa. Jim Burt doubled earlier in the inning and San Pedro followed with a walk to account for Miami’s runs.
UM will welcome Oral Roberts to town over the weekend for games at 7 p.m. (Friday), 5 p.m. (Saturday) and 1 p.m. (Sunday). For more information on UM athletics visit the official UM web site at hurricanesports.com. For more information on tickets call 1-800-GO-CANES.
