Hurricanes Hold On For 7-6 Win Against Cavaliers
May 13, 2005
For Immediate ReleaseUniversity of Miami BaseballFriday, May 13, 2005Contact: Evan Koch
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The third-ranked Hurricanes battled back from an early deficit and protected a late lead to come away with a 7-6 victory against Virginia in front of 1,796 at Davenport Field Friday night. Miami improved to 37-11-1 overall and 18-6-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Virginia dropped to 32-16 overall and 10-13 in the ACC.
Miami ace Cesar Carrillo had perhaps his roughest outing of the season but retained a perfect season and career record. Carrillo pitched seven and one-third innings and gave up six earned runs on seven hits, with eight strikeouts and a walk to improve to 12-0 this season and 24-0 in his career. The win tied Carrillo’s 12-0 record from 2004 and moved him into fourth place on the NCAA’s consecutive decisions won list.
Sophomore Chris Perez picked up his fifth save of the season, pitching one and a third innings of scoreless relief, including two strikeouts in the ninth inning.
Virginia starter Matt Avery gave up five earned runs on nine hits with two walks and three strikeouts in five innings to fall to 4-5 this season.
UM third baseman Ryan Braun hit his 16th home run of the season and drove in three runs, and sophomore Jon Jay went 3-for-4 to lead the Hurricanes’ 11-hit performance.
Ryan Zimmerman keyed the UVa offense with a three-run home run and Brandon Guyer went 2-for-3 with a solo home run.
The Hurricanes got to Avery early. Danny Figueroa led off the game with a single to left and moved to second on Paco Figueroa’s sacrifice bunt. Braun crushed the next pitch Avery threw to deep left to open a 2-0 lead.
Virginia answered in the bottom of the third with Zimmerman’s two-out, three-run shot to left to take a 3-2 lead. Guyer increased the lead to 4-2 with a solo home run to left-center to lead off the fourth inning.
Braun cut the lead in half in the fifth with a one-out single to center that scored Danny Figueroa from third and moved Paco Figueroa to second. Jay walked to load the bases for Danny Valencia, who responded with a two-run single up the middle to reclaim the lead for Miami, 5-4.
Scott Morganthaler relieved Avery after he walked Brendan Katin to start the sixth inning. Morganthaler finished the sixth and seventh before running into trouble in the eighth.
Walter Diaz drew a leadoff walk in the eighth and advanced to second on Eddy Rodriguez’s bunt. Katin laid a sacrifice bunt down the first-base line to advance both runners and resulted in Sean Doolittle replacing Morganthaler on the mound. Doolittle walked Roger Tomas to load the bases with one out. It looked as if Virginia was going to avoid trouble and turn a 6-4-3 on Danny Figueroa’s ground ball, but Kyle Werman’s throw got away from Josh Darby at first base and allowed Diaz and Rodriguez to score for a 7-4 cushion.
Carrillo answered the bell in the eighth but was relieved by Andrew Lane with one out after hitting Matt Street and walking Zimmerman to start the inning. Lane was greeted with a single to left from Darby that scored Street. Zimmerman cut the lead to 7-6, scoring on fielder’s choice. Perez spelled Lane and closed out the eighth by getting Scott Headd to ground out to second.
The win pushed Miami’s unbeaten road streak to 8-0-1.
UM and UVa continue their series Saturday at 7 p.m. at Davenport Field.
Notes: Braun’s two-run shot in the first moved him into fourth place on the all-time home runs list at Miami with 43… Braun’s three RBIs ran his career total to 189, moving him past Pat Burell and Kevin Brown (both 187) and into a tie with Danny Matienzo for fourth place on the school’s all-time list… Carrillo’s strikeout of Mike Campagna in the third inning was his 100th of the season… Zimmerman’s home run was the second hit off Carrillo this season and the first since Feb. 18 against Florida, a streak of 82.2 innings Brendan Katin returned to the lineup a week earlier than expected following knee surgery on April 17.
