Hurricanes Clinch Series with 11-8 Win over ORU
April 6, 2003
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (hurricanesports.com) – Seventh-ranked Miami defeated Oral Roberts, 11-8, in the rubber game of the three-game series Sunday afternoon in front of 1,066 fans at Mark Light field.
Miami improves its 2003 record to 25-6, while Oral Roberts falls to 14-13 on the season.
Centerfielder Danny Figueroa led the offense for the Hurricanes going 3-for-5 at the plate with two runs scored, two RBI and his first career home run.
Relief pitcher Chiqui Chirino (2-0) recorded the win for Miami going 2.1 innings, giving up only one hit and one walk, while striking out two batters. Starter Brandon Camardese (4-0) took a no-decision going 4.2 innings giving up seven hits, six runs (four earned) and two walks with two strikeouts.
Oral Roberts jumped on top with one run in the first inning for the second straight day. After Camardese retired the first two Golden Eagles hitters, Grant Plumley singled and then scored on David Castillo’s RBI double in the left-center field gap.
Miami grabbed the lead with three runs on five hits in the second inning, punctuated by RBI singles off the bats of catcher Greg Dini and second baseman Joey Hooft. Dini was making his ninth start of the season behind the plate, while Hooft made his second start. The Hurricanes scored their second run of the game on an error by the second baseman to take a 3-1 lead.
Oral Roberts came right back with two runs in third inning on a home run by catcher David Castillo. Grant Plumley had reached base a batter earlier on an error by third baseman Adam Ricks.
Miami got one run back to retake the lead, 4-3, on a RBI double from Jim Burt.
The Hurricanes extended the lead to 5-3 in the fourth inning with a solo home run from Danny Figueroa. The home run was his first as a Hurricane and his 11th RBI of the season.
The Golden Eagles retook the lead, 6-5 with RBI singles by Matt VanDerBosch and Dennis Bigley allowing Ryan Welborn and VanDerBosch to score, respectively. A two-out bases-loaded walk to Andrew Collup gave Oral Roberts the one-run lead.
The Hurricanes took a two-run lead, 8-6, in the sixth scoring three runs on three hits and no errors. RBI singles by Ricks and Ryan Braun, and a bases-loaded walk to Erick San Pedro put Miami in front. Additionally, Braun’s single to centerfield extended his team-high hitting streak to 13 games.
Miami knocked in three more runs on three hits and an error by the first baseman in the seventh extending its lead to 11-6. The Hurricanes’ 14th and 15th hits of the game by Danny Figueroa and Richard Gianotti drove in two-runs. A ground out by Braun allowed Danny Figueroa to score giving Miami a five-run cushion.
Oral Roberts mounted a ninth-inning rally scoring two-runs on an RBI single by Andy Hargrove and a bases-loaded walk to Campbell but fell short, 11-8.
