Hurricanes Hit Back-to-Back Home Runs to Sink Vols, 8-7
Feb. 20, 2004
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Back-to-back solo home runs by Paco Figueroa and Joey Hooft in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the Miami baseball team an 8-7 victory over Tennessee in front of 4,035 fans Friday night at Mark Light Field.
Miami entered the bottom of the ninth trialing 7-6 after surrendering the lead in the eighth on three runs and two hits. Jon Jay led off the ninth by grounding out to the shortstop. Paco Figueroa then homered to right field and Hooft followed with a walk-off home run to left-center field.
The last time Miami hit back-to-back home runs, Hooft paired up with Ryan Braun in the Hurricanes’ win against Pace on May 2, 2003. Head coach Jim Morris’ Hurricanes improve to 3-1 on the season, while Morris’ record on his birthday (Feb. 20) improves to 7-1 in his 23-year Division-I coaching career.
Freshman closer Cesar Carrillo (1-0) recorded his first career victory as a Miami Hurricane, going two innings and giving up two hits. Carrillo allowed one earned run on two hits and surrendered lead before earning the win.
Figueroa led the Miami offense, going 2 for 4 with two runs scored and one RBI on the solo home run. Hooft went 1 for 3 with two runs scored and the walk-off home run.
Tennessee opened the scoring by taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning off a two-run home run by Chase Headley, scoring Eli Iorg.
The Volunteers extended the lead to 4-0 in the second inning after Josh Alley singled into left field to score Michael Rivera. Rivera had reached on an error.
Miami cut the lead, 4-1, in the bottom of the second after Erick San Pedro hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Gaby Sanchez. Sanchez lead off the inning with his first double of the season.
The Hurricanes took the lead, 5-4, in the third inning highlighted by Richard Giannotti’s two-run single and four walks issued by the Tennessee pitching staff.
Dan Touchet entered in relief in the top of the sixth inning after J.D. Cockroft had pitched five innings allowing four runs on seven hits, while striking out three Vols in a no-decision.
Ryan Braun’s double in the bottom of the seventh scored Paco Figueroa and extended the Hurricanes’ lead 6-4.
Miami returns to action Saturday, Feb. 21, at Mark Light Field at 7p.m., for the second game in the best of three series against Tennessee. Hurricane pitcher and violinist J.D. Cockroft will play the National Anthem prior to the game.
