Cockroft Throws One-Hitter To Lead Miami Past Florida Atlantic, 1-0
May 31, 2003
Coral Gables, Fla. – J.D. Cockroft produced the finest post-season pitchingperformance in the University of Miami’s storied baseball history on Saturdayafternoon, hurling a one-hit shutout to lead the Miami Hurricanes to a 1-0victory over the Florida Atlantic Owls before a sellout crowd of 4,044 in an NCAARegional Tournament elimination game Saturday afternoon at Mark Light Field onthe University of Miami campus.
Miami (41-14-1) advanced to the championship round of the regional to facethe winner of the Florida vs. FAU (47-15) game Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern time. UFand FAU were slated to play Saturday evening beginning at 7 p.m.
Cockroft allowed only four base runners in the game, facing 28 batters (oneabove the minimum). FAU’s Shaen O’Connor had the only Owls’ hit, a single toleft-center field in the third inning. Other than O’Connor’s base hit, Cockroftstruck out eight and walked three to improve his record to 11-2 on the season.
“I don’t remember a better pitched game than the one we just saw today,” UMhead coach Jim Morris said. “He had total control of all his pitches.”
Miami scored the game’s only run in the fourth. Ryan Braun led off with asingle to left. Jim Burt followed with another single to left, moving Braun tosecond. Brian Barton laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to secondand third. With one out, Gabby Sanchez grounded out to second to score Braunwith the only run Cockroft would need.
FAU lost despite a complete-game performance on the mound by Randy Beam, whoallowed only five hits, struck out five and did not walk a batter. Beam onlyfaced 29 batters, two over the minimum, and fell to 13-2 with the defeat.
The Hurricanes turned three double plays and no FAU runner reached secondbase as Cockroft consistently stifled any Owls’ offensive opportunities.
The performance by Cockroft is the first complete game win by a Miami pitcherin the postseason since David Gil went the distance against FAU on May 27,2000. Cockroft’s outing was the first one-hitter by a Miami pitcher since AlexSantos did so against Florida State on May 1, 1998. As a team, it was theHurricanes’ first shutout in postseason play since a 13-0 over Texas Tech on May23, 1998.
“I knew this was going to be a tough game,” Cockroft said. “I felt verycomfortable early in the game. I got into my rhythm and stayed on it all game.”
Miami’s shutout ended a string of 166 games overall since the Hurricanes’last shutout win, a victory over Albany State on Feb. 25, 2001. Prior toCockroft’s performance, the finest postseason pitching performance in UM history waswidely considered to be a two-hit shutout of South Carolina on May 24, 1974.
