Hurricanes Hammer Alumni, 14-0
Feb. 7, 2004
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami baseball team got the 2004 season underway in grand fashion Saturday night in front of 2,016 fans at Mark Light Field with a 14-0 shutout win over the Alumni.
Head coach Jim Morris’ Hurricanes will open the regular season on Friday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m. against the 20th-ranked Florida Gators at Mark Light Field. The evening will also feature the retirement of former Hurricane great Pat Burrell’s No. 11 jersey.
Adam Ricks and Brian Barton paced Miami with three hits apiece. Ricks was 3 for 5 on the night with a team-high four RBI, while Barton went 3 for 3 with two triples and one RBI. The UM pitching staff sent nine pitchers to the mound in the shutout win, allowing five hits. Javy Rodriguez led the way for the Alumni at the plate with two hits.
Alex Blanco started the game for the Hurricanes and picked up the win after pitching his designated one inning. He limited the Alumni to one hit and struck out one.
Miami did the majority of its damage in the first inning off the Florida Marlins’ Michael Neu, scoring seven runs on four hits and three walks. Hooft doubled to lead off the game and then advanced to third base on a wild pitch and scored on a throwing error by the catcher.
With two outs, Gaby Sanchez singled and Brendan Katin drew a walk. Jim Burt then singled to center field to score Sanchez and Erick San Pedro followed with a two-RBI single to right field that chased Neu from the game.
Reyes quickly surrendered a RBI single to Hooft and a two-RBI single to Ricks.
Sanchez added an RBI double in the third inning and Miami then tacked on one run in the seventh inning and four runs in the eighth inning for the final score.
For Hurricane baseball ticket information call 1-800-GO-CANES or visit UM’s official athletics web site at www.hurricanesports.com.
