Marlins Rally In The Ninth To Defeat Hurricanes, 9-8
March 1, 2006
JUPITER, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – The 24th-ranked Miami baseball team’s bid for a second-consecutive upset win against the Florida Marlins fell just short in a 9-8 exhibition loss at Roger Dean Stadium Wednesday afternoon. Matt Cepicky’s two-run, two-out double off Jason Santana capped a three-run ninth for the Marlins, who were playing their first exhibition contest of spring training.
Jon Jay went 2-for-4 with four RBI and a two-run home run to lead Miami. Yonder Alonso and Jemile Weeks had two hits apiece for the Hurricanes, who out-hit the Marlins, 11-9.
Santana was charged with the loss and was the last of seven Miami pitchers to see action. Ricky Orta threw the first three innings and gave up two runs on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Andrew Lane (fourth), Marcelo Albir (fifth), Chris Perez (sixth), Danny Gil (seventh) and Raudel Alfonso (eighth), all pitched one inning. Perez and Gil both faced the minimum and recorded one strikeout apiece and neither gave up a hit.
Jesus Delgado picked up the win for the Marlins, who lost to the Hurricanes last year, 9-7, pitching a scoreless ninth inning.
Mike Jacobs put the Marlins up 2-0 in the first with a double to left field off Orta, driving in Jeremy Hermida and Dan Uggla.
Jay tied the game in the top of the fourth with a two-run shot to center off Jose Garcia. Florida answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning to retake the lead at 5-2.
The Hurricanes chipped away at the lead, beginning with Tekotte’s two-run blast to right in the fifth. Weeks sparked a four-run seventh for the `Canes and tied the game at 5-5 with a bases-loaded single to bring in Richard O’Brien. Jay followed with a long single to right field that scored Chris Gawenda and Nick Freitas for a 7-5 Miami lead. Gus Menendez drove in Weeks with a sacrifice fly to right field to complete the scoring in the inning.
The Marlins came within 8-6 in the eighth without the aid of a hit. Cepicky reached on an error and advanced to second on a wild pitch by Alfonso, then moved to third on Reggie Abercrombie’s grounder. Another Alfonso wild pitch allowed Cepicky to score and put the Marlins within two runs of Miami.
UM (9-6) returns to action Friday at Mark Light Field with a 7 p.m. first pitch to open a three-game series against Indiana (0-3).
Notes: The game did not count toward either team’s regular-season or spring training record … the Hurricanes fell to 1-6-1 all-time against the Marlins and 2-24-1 overall against Major League Baseball teams.
