Touchet Pitches Hurricanes to 10th Straight Win, 10-5
March 13, 2004
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The sixth-ranked Miami Hurricanes extended their winning streak to 10 games with a 10-5 win over Rutgers in front of 2,631 fans Saturday night at Mark Light Field.
The 10-game winning streak is the longest for the Hurricanes since they won 17 in a row to close the 2001 season and capture their fourth national championship.
Dan Touchet earned his third win (3-0) with six innings of one-hit work. He would not allow that first hit until the Graig Badger led off the sixth inning with a single. Touchet struck out two and walked one, while throwing 76 pitches.
George Huguet moved into first place on UM’s career relief appearances list with his 113 appearance. Huguet surpassed Danny Smith who made 112 appearances in relief from 1980-83.
Jim Burt led the Hurricanes’ offensive attack with a 4 for 4 night and two RBI. Paco Figueroa also chipped in with three hits, while Adam Ricks added two hits, two RBI and two runs scored.
UM broke the game open in the fourth inning with six runs on six hits and the help of two Rutgers errors. The inning was highlighted by a RBI double by Adam Ricks, a two RBI single from Jim Burt and a RBI single from Jon Jay.
The inning also put an end to RU’s starting pitcher Shaun Parker’s night, after the left-hander allowed seven runs (four earned) on five hits.
The two teams battled to a 1-1 tie through three innings without the help of a hit on either side. Rutgers scored an unearned run in the first inning and Miami countered with a earned run in the fourth inning on an RBI ground out by Joey Hooft, scoring Paco Figueroa who had be hit by a pitch and then stole second and third base to get into scoring position.
Miami stole seven more bases on the night, running its 2004 season total to 57 throughout 17 games.
The Scarlet Knights tacked on one run in the seventh inning and three more in the eighth inning.
The Hurricanes and Scarlet Knights return to the diamond Sunday at 1 p.m. at Mark Light Field.
