Hurricanes' Offense Sparks 17-6 Win Against Oral Roberts
April 1, 2005
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – Miami (24-7, 8-4 ACC) did its damage early, scoring 12 runs in the first four innings in a 17-6 win against Oral Roberts (13-12) Friday night at Mark Light Field.
Seniors Brendan Katin and Paco Figueroa both homered and scored three runs, and freshman Walter Diaz had four of Miami’s 17 hits in five at-bats. Katin and sophomore Eddy Rodriguez both had three RBIs in the Hurricanes’ third-highest offensive output of the season.
UM sophomore Ricky Orta moved his record to 6-2 and gave up five runs on six hits with one walk and five strikeouts in six innings. Taylor McIntyre (2-6) was charged with the loss for Oral Roberts and gave up eight earned runs on five hits in one and two-third innings.
The Hurricanes opened with a three-run first inning. Danny Figueroa drew a leadoff walk and moved to third on a double by Paco Figueroa. Both Figueroas scored on a fly ball hit by Ryan Braun that was dropped by Oral Roberts right fielder Kevin Lamb for a 2-0 lead. Katin put his fifth home run of the season over the fence in left-center for Miami’s third run of the inning.
Oral Roberts answered with one run in the second on a sacrifice fly from Brian Aguailar that scored Rene Recio.
Braun hit a bases-loaded single to score Walter Diaz and Katin followed with a two-run bases-loaded single for a 6-1 lead. Rodriguez hit a two-run double to push the UM lead to 8-1.
The Golden Eagles came within 8-3 with two runs in the top of the fourth, but a four-run fourth from the Hurricanes provided an insurmountable 12-3 lead.
Recio led ORU at the plate, going 2 for 2 with two runs and two RBIs.
UM sophomore Chris Perez pitched the final two innings for Miami and struck out three without giving up a hit.
Miami and Oral Roberts play Saturday at 7 p.m. at Mark Light Field. For ticket information, visit www.hurricanesports.com or call the UM ticket office at 1-800-GO-CANES.
Notes: Patrick Feeney tied a UM freshman record with two sacrifice bunts, tying the mark set by shortstop Roger Tomas last year… Braun’s second RBI moved him into a tie with Doug Shields for ninth on the Hurricanes’ all-time RBI list with 165 for his career.
