Hurricanes Unleash 15-hit Attack in an 18-8 Win Over Boston College
March 21, 2003
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Miami baseball team took the first game of the weekend series with Boston College, routing the Eagles, 18-8, in front of 2,117 fans Friday night at Mark Light Field.
“I thought we looked good, swung well and put up a bunch of runs,” said head coach Jim Morris. “And number one we got a win. Our guys got it done when it counted.”
J.D. Cockroft pitched 5.1 innings in a no decision, allowing nine hits and six runs (three earned), while striking out three batters. Marcelo Albir picked up his first career win with 1.2 innings of relief.
Adam Ricks led off the sixth inning with a double in the right-center field gap. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Ricks scored on a sacrifice fly by Blanco, his second RBI of the night. Danny Figueroa singled and stole second base and then stole third base. He scored on a deep sacrifice fly to center field, giving UM a 7-6 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
The Hurricanes added their eighth run of the night as the BC pitcher unleashed a throw to first base that ended up in the right-field corner. Ryan Bruan, who had singled following the sacrifice fly, scored on the play. Gaby Sanchez then doubled between the right fielder, second baseman and first baseman to score Brian Barton.
With one out in the seventh inning, Locke connected with an Albir pitch and sent it over the scoreboard in left field to make it a 9-7 game. Michael Flynn followed in the eighth inning with a solo home run off Shawn Valdes-Fauli to close the lead to 9-8.
Miami put the game away in the bottom of the eighth inning with nine runs on five hits, two walks and three hit batters to take a 13-8 lead. Sanchez and Barton highlighted the inning with two two-RBI doubles.
Boston College jumped out to a 2-0 lead on the first inning after Gaby Sanchez threw the third out of the inning into the dugout on a Drew Locke ground ball. Matt Lederhos followed with a single and Jason Delaney drove them both home with a double of the head of Richard Giannotti in left field.
Miami got one run back in the bottom of the second inning, as Brian Barton scored on an error by the pitcher that was covering first base.
Alex Blanco made the most of his second start of the season, ripping a double over the head of the left fielder with one out in the fourth inning. Blanco started at shortstop in place of Paco Figueroa.
With one out in the fourth inning UM reeled off three straight hits from Gaby Sanchez, Jim Burt and an RBI single from Erick San Pedro. After an Adam Ricks walk, Blanco drilled a shot that the third baseman fielded and forced San Pedro at third base, scoring Burt.
Jim Burt gave the Hurricanes a 5-2 lead in the fifth inning with a two-run home run off the scoreboard in left field. The home run was his fifth of the season and RBIs 14 and 15.
Boston College answered back in the sixth inning, taking a 6-5 lead with four runs on four hits and one error. Jason Delaney highlighted the inning with a RBI single.
The Hurricanes will play the second game of the three-game series with Boston College Saturday, March 22 at 7 p.m. at Mark Light Field on the UM campus.
Miami and Boston College will play game two of the three-game series on Saturday, March 22, at 7 p.m. Sunday’s series finale is on Fox Sports Net Florida and will start at 1 p.m.
