Sanchez Hits for the Cycle as Hurricanes Drill Pace, 27-1
May 2, 2003
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (hurricanesports.com) – It had been 10 years and 655 games since any Hurricane player had hit for the cycle, but Gaby Sanchez put an end to that with an eighth-inning double, as Miami drilled Pace 27-1 on Friday night in front of 1,092 fans at Mark Light Field.
The 17th-ranked Hurricanes improved to 30-11-1 on the season, while Pace fell to 7-33.
The Miami offense was the story on this night as the Hurricanes scored 27 runs on 24 hits, including five homeruns. The Hurricane were paced by Sanchez who went a career-high 5-for-7 at the plate, with four runs scored, six RBI and a grand slam. Matt Barket produced his best offensive performance as a Hurricane going a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate, including three RBIs and a run scored.
J.D. Cockroft (7-2) went six strong innings to pick up his seven win of the season. He allowed one unearned run on six hits while striking out five and walking one. Patrick Stanley (1-5) took the loss for Pace to fall to 1-5 on the season.
Miami blew things wide open in the seventh inning with eight runs on six hits, highlighted by three home runs, including the grand slam off the bat of Sanchez. The grand slam was the first by a Hurricane since May 24, 2002, when Paco Figueroa hit one against New York Tech.
The Hurricanes continued the offensive domination as Joey Hooft hit his first career home run in the seventh inning and his first career grand slam in the eighth. Hooft finished the night going 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored and seven RBI.
Ryan Braun followed Hooft’s seventh inning homerun with his 11th round-tripper of the season. Braun added to the Hurricane offense going 3-for-5 with four runs scored and two RBI.
The Hurricanes jumped all over the Setters in the first inning, scoring three runs on four hits, including a leadoff home run from Danny Figueroa. The home run was Figueroa’s third of the season and the first leadoff home run for a Hurricane since Charlton Jimerson belted one against Southern California on June 11, 2001, in the 2001 College World Series.
Pace scored its only run of the game in the third inning with a RBI single from Michael Ferrauto, who reached on an error by UM third baseman Gaby Sanchez.
The Hurricanes are back in action to face Pace in the second of the three-game series Saturday, May 3 at 7:00 p.m. at Mark Light Field.
