Hurricanes Overtake Florida, 3-1, to Advance to College World Series
June 13, 2004
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Sophomore Cesar Carrillo (11-0) went nine full innings with four hits, one earned run, three walks and nine strike outs to lead first-ranked and top-seeded Miami past Florida, 3-1, Sunday afternoon before a crowd of 4,853 at Mark Light Field – clinching the 2004 Coral Gables Super Regional to send the Hurricanes to their 21st NCAA College World Series appearance.
With the win over the Gators (43-22), the Hurricanes (49-11) extend their perfect mark of unbeaten games at super regionals held at Mark Light Field to eight as UM has swept opponents in each of the four super regionals (1999, 2001, 2003 and 2004) held in Coral Gables.
Carrillo’s nine strike outs in the win topped his personal best of eight, while the complete game was the first of his career and the first complete game thrown in Miami history in a super regional.
Behind a 1 for 4, one home run, two RBI performance from the plate by the Hurricanes’ Richard Giannotti, UF starter Connor Falkenbach took the loss for the Gators, giving up eight hits, three runs (all earned), one walk with five strikeouts in 7.2 innings.
Florida struck first as Adam Davis scored from second on a line drive to left field off the bat of the Gators’ Ben Harrison in the bottom of the first inning.
The score would remain at 1-0 in favor of the Gators through four innings until UM’s Richard blasted a two-run shot over the wall in left-center off Florida’s Falkenbach to put the Hurricanes ahead 2-1 in the fifth.
The Hurricanes added to the lead in the top of the eighth when Adam Ricks reached on a single to right field then advanced to second on a sac bunt by Ryan Braun and moved to third on a wild pitch by Falkenbach before scoring on a Jim Burt sacrifice fly.
Falkenbach’s starting effort ended after giving up a single to Brian Barton on the following at bat, giving way to UF reliever Darren O’Day after 7.2 innings.
Carrillo closed out the UM win in the bottom of the ninth retiring the Gators’ fourth, fifth and sixth spot hitters in five pitches.
The Hurricanes advance to the 2004 NCAA College World Series in Omaha, Neb. beginning June 18.
