Big Fifth Inning Carries 'Canes To 12-1 Victory Against Duke
March 12, 2005
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – The Miami Hurricanes (16-4, 4-1 ACC) used a seven-run fifth inning to pull away from Duke (6-13, 0-5 ACC) in a 12-1 victory in front of 2,746 at Mark Light Field on Saturday night.
Eight of Miami’s 13 hits went for extra bases, including a pair of doubles from junior third basemen Ryan Braun. Sophomore Jon Jay went 2 for 4 with a triple and three RBIs and senior Paco Figueroa scored two runs and drove in another two to lead the Hurricanes. Ten of UM’s 12 runs came with two outs.
UM starter Dan Touchet gave up five hits, one unearned run, walked two and struck out three to move his record to 2-1 this season. Duke starter David Torcise pitched four and two-thirds innings and gave up four hits and seven runs, while striking out four in the loss.
Miami jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first with a pair of RBI doubles by Paco Figueroa and Braun. Duke’s Brett Bartles cut the lead in half in the fourth. Bartles reached base on an infield single and advanced to second on a throwing error by Walter Diaz. A wild pitch from Touchet allowed Bartles to score from second to bring Duke within 2-1.
The Hurricanes scored seven runs with two outs in the fifth, two of which came on a passed ball and wild pitch. Diaz led off the fifth with a single and scored on a bases-loaded passed ball. Torcise walked Braun to load the bases with Danny and Paco Figueroa at second and third. Jay hit a three-run triple and Torcise was relieved by Kyle Silver with the score at 6-1. A wild pitch from Silver allowed Jay to score from third. Danny Valencia, Brendan Katin and Diaz followed with doubles in consecutive at-bats to put UM up 9-1. Ryan Sember was brought in to finish the inning for the Blue Devils.
UM added two insurance runs in the sixth and Paco Figueroa tripled in the seventh to score Alex Garabedian for the final 12-1 score.
Hurricane relievers Jon McLean, Vince Bongiovanni and Danny Gil each provided an inning of scoreless relief in support of Touchet’s effort.
Miami and Duke will play the third game of their three-game series at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Mark Light Field.
Notes: Braun’s RBI in the first inning was the 150th of his career… Jay extended his hitting streak to 17 games and has hit safely…Diaz became the first Hurricane to have two hits in an inning (fifth) since Adam Ricks had two in the seventh inning against Florida Atlantic on May 8, 2004…UM’s six doubles were a season high and the most hit since the Hurricanes had seven doubles against Florida Atlantic on May 19, 2004.
