Paco Figueroa Powers Hurricanes Past Rutgers, 6-5
March 14, 2004
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Paco Figueroa laced a single off the foot of Rutgers pitcher Steve Holt in the bottom of the 10th inning to give Miami a 6-5 win and complete a weekend sweep of the Scarlet Knights.
The win was the 11th straight for the sixth-ranked Hurricanes and improves their record to 15-3 on the season. Rutgers falls to 4-8 on the season.
Figueroa finished the day with 4 for 5 with a home run, triple, two singles and three RBI. Brian Barton finished with three hits and two runs scored with one RBI.
Rutgers took advantage of a dropped fly ball by Miami right fielder Brian Barton with two outs in the eighth inning and turned it into four runs and a tie ball game at 5-5.
After the dropped fly ball, Brandon Camardese allowed a RBI single to Rich Canuso before exiting the game after 7.2 innings, allowing four runs (one earned) on five hits, while striking out five and walking none. Alex Blanco would come on with one man on base and surrender a three-run home run off the scoreboard in left field to Colin Gaynor, tying the score.
Miami took the lead, 2-1, in the third inning with an unearned run off of catcher’s interference by RU’s receiver Jeff Miller. The Hurricanes would extend the lead in the fourth inning with two runs off a RBI triple from Figueroa and a sacrifice fly from Jon Jay.
Figueroa hit a solo home run to left field in the sixth inning to give Miami a 5-1 lead. The blast was his second of the season.
Brian Barton tied the score at 1-1 in the second inning with a RBI single, scoring Gaby Sanchez who had drawn a walk with two outs in the inning.
Graig Badger staked Rutgers to an early 1-0 lead with a leadoff solo home run.
The Hurricanes travel to Tampa to face South Florida on Tuesday, March 16 at 7 p.m. and again on Wednesday, March 17, at 5 p.m.
