Hurricanes Overpower Florida Atlantic, 13-3
May 19, 2004
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Senior first baseman Jim Burt ripped three doubles with one RBI to lead the fourth-ranked University of Miami baseball team past neighborhood-rival Florida Atlantic, 13-3, Wednesday night at Mark Light Field in front of a crowd of 1,428.
Behind a 13-hit outing by the Hurricanes (38-11), Miami starter Dan Touchet (5-1) earned the win, going five innings with four hits, no runs, no walks and one strikeout. Florida Atlantic’s (38-15) Mike Crotta (5-4) was credited with the loss, allowing six runs – three earned – and seven hits in 1.2 innings.
The Hurricanes jump-started the second inning with a single to left field by Ryan Braun. Erik San Pedro followed suite, singling to left followed by a single by Gaby Sanchez, bringing in Braun to put UM on the board. San Pedro scored on an error by Crotta and John Jay doubled to left, plating Sanchez to give Miami their third run of the inning.
Brian Barton brought the Miami lead to five with a single to center field, scoring Roger Tomas and Jon Jay, and would come around to score on a double by Burt to end Crotta’s outing after just one and two-third innings work. FAU junior left-hander Jason Costello came on to replace Crotta to end the Miami six-run, seven-hit inning.
The Miami third inning began with a double by Richard Giannotti to score Sanchez who was hit by Costello to lead off the inning. Giannotti came around to score on a double by Jay, increasing the UM lead to eight.
Burt opened the UM fourth inning with his second double of the night before coming around to score the Hurricanes’ ninth run of the night on an error by FAU first baseman Jeff Fiorentino off the bat of Braun.
The Hurricanes’ Vince Bongivanni came in for relief the Touchet in the top of the sixth inning, replacing the UM starter after five full scoreless innings with four hits and no walks allowed.
FAU’s Mike McBryde greeted Bongiovanni with a solo home run in the sixth to give Florida Atlantic their first run of the game.
Burt, who led off the sixth inning with his third double of the game, scored the Hurricanes’ 10th run of the night on an error by FAU right-fielder Rob Horst off the bat of Joey Hooft to bring on Bobby Demichael in relief of Costello. UM’s Sanchez drove in Hooft on a sacrifice fly to further the Hurricane lead to 10.
Bongiovanni surrendered the Miami pitching duties to Marcelo Albir in the seventh inning with the bases loaded following a single and two walks before FAU’s Fiorentino drove in Robert Orton with a sacrifice fly for FAU’s second run of the game.
With an RBI double by Adam Ricks, paired with a run-costing error by Florida Atlantic third baseman Evan Brannon, the Hurricanes brought the score to 13-2 in the bottom of the seventh.
Miami returns to the diamond on Thursday, May 20, to take on Ball State in the start of a three-game set between the two schools. All three games will start at 7 p.m.
Notes- With three doubles against FAU, Miami’s Jim Burt surpassed Frank Dominguez and Kevin Brown to move into fifth place all-time for career doubles by a Hurricane with 54.
