Hurricanes Hammer Minnesota, 9-2
Feb. 29, 2004
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The fourth-ranked Miami baseball team won its third straight game with a 9-2 win over 25th-ranked Minnesota on Sunday night in front of 1,629 fans at Mark Light Field.
Miami improves to 7-3 on the season, while the Golden Gophers fall to 1-3
Erick San Pedro eclipsed his 2003 home run total 10 games into the 2004 season with his fifth long ball of the season in the seventh inning. The three-run shot gave the Hurricanes a 9-2 lead and San Pedro 16 RBI for the season.
Ryan Braun drove in four runs with his second home run and a double.
Touchet pitched 5.0 innings in his first start since ‘Tommy John’ surgery last March to earn his first win of the season. The right-hander allowed only two runs (both earned) on two hits, while walking two and striking out on 78 pitches.
Ryan Braun hit the first pitch he saw from the Gophers’ Brian Bull in the first inning deep to left field for his second home run of the season and a 3-0 Hurricanes’ lead.
Minnesota would use the long ball to pull within one run at 3-2 in the top half of the second inning on a Gary Dick home run.
The Hurricanes manufactured a run in the second inning to take a 4-2 lead. Paco Figueroa drew a walk to open the inning and promptly stole both second a third base for his sixth and seventh stolen bases of the year. Joey Hooft followed with a RBI ground out to second base.
UM would tally one run in the third inning on an Erick San Pedro RBI single with two outs. San Pedro’s single scored Gaby Sanchez, who had doubled to open the inning. Braun doubled in another run in the fourth inning to lengthen the Hurricanes’ lead to 6-2.
The Hurricanes have two days off before traveling to Jupiter, Fla., to take on the defending World Champion Florida Marlins at 3 p.m. at Roger Dean Stadium.
