Hurricanes' Danny Figueroa and Carrillo Lead UM Past Mississippi State, 4-1
June 4, 2005
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Miami’s Danny Figueroa went 3-for-3 with a home run and reached base in all five of his plate appearances to lead the top-seeded Hurricanes (40-17-1) past second-seeded Mississippi State (41-21), 4-1, Saturday night in Game 4 of the 2005 NCAA Coral Gables Baseball Regional at Mark Light Field.
Danny Figueroa’s two-run shot to left in the bottom of the eighth inning broke open a 2-1 game and gave Miami some much-needed breathing room. It topped one of the best performances of his career that included two singles, two walks, two runs scored and three stolen bases.
While Danny Figueroa provided much of the offense that advanced the Hurricanes to Game 5 of the Regional, UM starter Cesar Carrillo provided much of the pitching.
Carrillo (13-2) earned the victory for the Hurricanes behind seven and two-thirds innings work with nine strikeouts, two walks and four hits. Carrillo coasted through seven innings before giving up two hits and a run in the eighth inning. Closer Chris Perez came on to pitch the final inning-and-a-third and was credited his seventh save of the year.
The Bulldogs’ Todd Doolittle took the loss, allowing one earned run, six hits and four walks.
Jon Jay knocked in UM’s first run of the night in the bottom of the fifth, singling off Doolittle to centerfield to score Danny Figueroa, who followed a leadoff walk with his third stolen base of the night.
Doolittle’s night ended with the start of the seventh inning, giving way to Mike Valentine. Danny Figueroa led off the inning by laying down a bunt off Valentine that snuck down the third base side for a hit.
Paco Figueroa moved his twin brother to third on the next at bat with a single and one batter later, Ryan Braun loaded the bases with no outs by drawing a walk. Danny Figueroa was thrown out at home by MSU first baseman Brad Jones on a ball off the bat of Jay, but Paco Figueroa, who reached third Jay’s at bat, crossed home on a sacrifice fly to left field by Danny Valencia, giving UM a 2-0 lead.
The Bulldogs made their way onto the scoreboard in the top of the eighth. Jeffrey Rea, who initially reached base with a single to left, moved to second on an Ed Easley single and advanced to third when Carrillo hit Thomas Berkery. Rea came in on a sacrifice fly to deep right-center off the bat of Brad Jones.
The Rea run ended Carrillo’s night after seven and two-thirds innings, giving way to Perez, who closed out the inning.
UM’s Eddy Rodriquez led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a single to left before Danny Figueroa’s two-out four-bagger extended the Hurricane lead to 4-1.
Mississippi State and Florida Atlantic will square-off Sunday at 3 p.m. at Mark Light Field to determine who will face Miami Saturday evening at 7 p.m. Florida Atlantic eliminated Virginia Commonwealth earlier in the day with a 3-1 win.
