Hurricanes Lose Early Lead In 13-6 Loss To Wake Forest
March 19, 2005
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (www.hurricanesports.com) – The Hurricanes (19-5, 6-2 ACC) let a 5-3 lead in the fifth inning slip away en route to a 13-6 loss to Wake Forest (10-11, 4-4 ACC) Saturday afternoon at Gene Hooks Stadium.
Miami junior third baseman Ryan Braun led the Hurricanes at the plate, going 3 for 4 with a home run and one run batted in. Sophomore catcher Eddy Rodriguez and freshman second baseman both hit solo home runs for the Hurricanes in the loss.
Senior pitcher Dan Touchet (2-2) was charged with the loss and pitched four and two-thirds innings, gave up seven runs on eight hits, with two walks and a strikeout. Wake Forest starter Josh Ellis moved his record to 3-1 and gave up six runs on seven hits with two strikeouts in six innings of work. Junior reliever Kyle Young picked up the save for the Demon Deacons.
Miami fell into a 2-0 hole in the first on a pair of RBI singles by Ryder Mathias and Brendan Enick, but charged back with a three-run third. Rodriguez started the Miami comeback with a leadoff double and scored on Paco Figueroa’s single to bring the Hurricanes within 2-1. Ryan Braun singled and advanced to second on a throw that pushed Figueroa to third. Sophomore left fielder Jon Jay gave Miami the lead with a single that scored Braun and Figueroa.
Rodriguez increased the Miami lead with the first home run of his career, a solo shot to right-center with two outs in the fourth inning. The Demon Deacons gained some ground in the bottom half of the inning on Brett Linnenkohl’s sacrifice fly RBI to put the score at 4-3.
Braun took advantage of a moderate wind and hit a 1-1 pitch from Ellis that carried over the right field wall for his eighth homer of the season to give Miami a 5-3 lead in the UM fifth. The Demon Deacons battled back with four runs in their half of the inning to take a 7-5 lead. Walter Diaz hit the third Miami solo home run of the day to right field in the sixth, bringing the `Canes within one.
It was as close as the Miami would get. The Hurricanes loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, but Young pitched his way out of the jam. Young struck out Rodriguez and forced Danny Figueroa to fly out to right to end Miami’s scoring threat.
All hope of a Hurricanes’ comeback ended with a six-run eighth inning by Wake Forest that was capped off by Andy Goff’s three-run home run to left off UM freshman reliever Carlos Gutierrez.
Miami and Wake Forest will play in the series finale on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Notes: Braun moved into 10th place on Miami’s all-time home run list, tying Frank Dominguez (1985-88) with 35 for his career… Four of Miami’s five losses this season have come on Saturday.
