Hurricanes Strike Early, Defeat N.C. State 13-7
March 6, 2005
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – The Miami Hurricanes baseball team rode an early 10-2 lead to a 13-7 win against North Carolina State in front of 2,011 at Mark Light Field Sunday afternoon. Miami moved to 13-4 overall and won its first-ever ACC series with the win. N.C. State dropped to 11-4 overall and 1-2 in the ACC.
Jon Jay led a 14-hit attack by the Hurricanes, going 4-5 with a double, three runs and four RBIs. He was complemented by junior third baseman Ryan Braun, who went 2-4 with a home run, two RBIs and three runs scored.
Junior left-handed reliever Andrew Lane (1-0) picked up the win for Miami with 2.1 innings of relief. Hurricane starter Brandon Camardese was on a pre-determined pitch count and left the game after giving up five hits and two runs in three innings of work. Wolfpack starter Gib Hobson was charged with the loss and gave up seven hits and nine runs in 3.1 innings on the mound.
Miami scored one run in the first and jumped to a 6-0 lead with a five-run second inning. Jay singled home Braun in the first to put Miami up, 1-0. Tomas drew a one-out walk in the second and advanced to third on a single to right field by freshman second baseman Walter Diaz. UM catcher Eddy Rodriguez hit a slow-roller down the third base line score Tomas. Paco Figueroa’s fly ball to center was dropped by N.C. State’s Chris Engle to score Rodriguez and Danny Figueroa. Braun topped the scoring off in the second with a two-run shot to left field for his seventh home run of the year for a six-run lead heading into the third inning.
Aaron Bates drove in Jonathan Diaz and Matt Devine with a single to bring the Wolfpack within 6-2 in the third. Junior Andrew Lane relieved Camardese with in the fourth got Mike Jensen to hit into a 5-4-3 double play and struck out Engle to end the inning.
Danny Figueroa hit a leadoff double, Hobson hit Paco Figueroa and Braun singled to load the bases with one out in the fourth before Hobson was pulled in place of Adam McLaurin. Jay hit the first pitch from McLaurin into right field to score the Figueroas. Wolfpack right fielder Brian Aragon misplayed the ball, allowing Braun to score and Jay to advance to third. Danny Valencia singled to center field to drive in Jay to put Miami up 10-2.
N.C. State refused to go down without a fight, scoring three runs in the fifth off Lane, all of which were unearned. Two errors by the Hurricanes resulted in all three Wolfpack runs scored. NCS added another run in the sixth as Camp followed up Ramon Corona’s double with an RBI single to bring State within 10-6.
It was as close as the Wolfpack would get. Miami added another run in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by Katin that scored Jay and put two runs on the board in the eighth with RBI-hits from Jay and Valencia. The Wolfpack added one run in the top of the ninth for the final 13-7 score.
Miami returns to the diamond at Mark Light Field on Tuesday, March 8 against Pittsburgh at 7 p.m., followed by a March 9 tilt against Quinnipiac at home.
Notes: Braun, who led the ACC in home runs, RBI and runs scored coming into the weekend series, upped his totals to seven home runs, 28 RBI and 29 runs scored… Jay’s five at-bats moved his career total to 300, qualifying him to be ranked on Miami’s all-time batting average list where he is second with a .403 career average (Pat Burrell hit .442 from 1996-98).
