Morris Earns 1,000 Career Win Over Georgia Tech, 16-13
April 4, 2004
Atlanta – Miami head coach Jim Morris returned to the school where he spent 12 years to capture his 1,000th career Division-I win with a 16-13 victory over Georgia Tech Sunday afternoon in front of 2,380 fans at Russ Chandler Stadium.
The fifth-ranked Hurricanes improved to 24-6 on the season and clinched the best two-out-three series. Georgia Tech falls to 17-13 on the season. With the win, Morris has a 1,000-415-3 career record in his 23rd season of Division-1 baseball.
Danny Gil picked up his second win this weekend and his fifth overall against no losses. Nick Wagner took the loss to fall to 0-1 on the season.
Offensively, Miami pounded out16 hits and tied a season-high with four home runs. Ryan Braun paced the Hurricanes with four hits, while Jim Burt added three more with a home run and two RBI. Brian Barton hit his first home run of the season, a three-run shot to right-center field.
Miami took the lead, 15-10, with a seven-run seventh inning that capped a two-inning stretch that saw the Hurricanes score 12 runs on 10 hits. UM got RBI singles from Joey Hooft and Ryan Braun, but also received help with three Yellow Jacket errors in the inning.
Alex Blanco was outstanding in relief, entering the game in the seventh inning with the bases loaded and no outs. The junior right-hander struck the first two batters he faced out and then induced a ground ball to third base to end the inning. Blanco held Tech scoreless over two innings of work and struck out four.
Adam Ricks ripped his sixth home run of the season in the second inning to give the Hurricanes an early 2-0 lead. Jim Burt led off the inning by driving an Owings’ fastball into the teeth of a 25 mph wind in left-field, the ball hit at the base of the fence for a double.
A leadoff walk to Steven Blackwood in the second inning came around to score on Mike Nickeas’ eighth double of the season. Eric Patterson then deposited a three-run home run over the right-field fence for a 5-2 Tech lead.
Remole connected for a two-run home run in the third inning to put Georgia Tech on top 7-2 and chase Camardese from the game. Camardese lasted 2.2 innings and gave seven runs – all earned – on seven hits while walking two and striking out two.
Burt cracked his team-high seventh home run in the fourth inning to drive in his 40th RBI and pulled Miami within 7-3. Owings countered with a solo shot of his own in the bottom half of the inning, a pop fly that the wind carried out of the park for an 8-3 lead.
The Hurricanes made their big run with a five-run sixth inning to pull within one run at 9-8. The inning was highlight by a tape-measure three-run home run by Barton. Gaby Sanchez then connected for a solo home run.
Tech struck back with a RBI double off the bat of Steven Blackwood in the bottom of the sixth to push the lead to 10-8. The Yellow Jackets would add three more in the ninth inning.
Miami finishes its six-game road trip in Tallahassee with Florida State next weekend, April 9-11.
