Hurricanes Defeat Spartans 9-4
March 8, 2006
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – Miami junior centerfielder Jon Jay’s leadoff home run in the sixth inning snapped a 3-3 tie and helped carry the Hurricanes to a 9-4 win against Michigan State Wednesday night at Mark Light Field. UM ran its winning streak to seven games and improved to 13-6 on the season.
Senior lefty Andrew Lane got the win for the Hurricanes in an inning and two-thirds of relief. Craig Brookes got the loss for the Spartans (3-5), giving up seven runs in five and one-third innings.
Six Hurricanes posted two-hit games, including Jay, Blake Tekotte, Yonder Alonso, Dennis Raben, Eddy Rodriguez and Gus Menendez. Rodriguez led the team with two RBI.
Jay’s home run keyed a five-run, six-hit sixth. Alonso, Raben, Rodriguez and Walter Diaz all scored runs in the inning to put Miami ahead for good, 8-3.
The Spartans tried to answer in the seventh. Steve Gerstenberger scored on a two-out strike out and passed ball with the bases loaded to bring the score to 8-4. That was as close as the Spartans would get. Danny Gil ended the bases-loaded threat, forcing Alan Cattrysee to ground out to short to end the inning with an 8-4 lead.
A one-out Menendez double and a two-out triple by Jemile Weeks put the game out of reach at 9-4 in the bottom of the eighth.
Miami starter Ricky Orta struggled early, throwing 30 pitches in the first inning. Orta issued two one-out walks and then gave up a single to Adam Tripp to load the bases. A passed ball allowed E.J. Daws to score from third and moved the runners over, making the score 1-0. Orta escaped with minimal damage, forcing Alan Cattrysee to ground into a 6-4-3 inning-ending double play after a third walk loaded the bases.
Tekotte wasted no time in tying the game. He was hit by a pitch to lead off the Miami first and stole second base before moving to third on a single to left from Jay. Jay took a big turn around first and got into a run down between first and second base, which allowed Tekotte to score and tie the game at 1-1.
Orta bounced back in the second and retired the side in order on just six pitches, including a three-pitch strike out.
In the top of the fourth Orta put himself into another jam walking the lead off man Kyle Day. Day stole second base and advanced to third on a base hit by Cattrysee. Sean Walker hit a sharp ground ball to Yonder Alonso at first base and Alonso came home to cut down Day at the plate but left runners on first and second. Orta escaped trouble by getting Oliver Wolcott to fly out in foul territory to Gus Menendez at third and then struck out Steve Gerstenberger to end the inning.
Raben gave Miami its first lead in the fourth with a long single to right to score Alonso from first. Rodriguez followed with a double down the left field line to score Raben from first and gave the `Canes a 3-1 lead.
Raudel Alfonso came in to start the fifth for Orta. Alfonso surrendered a walk to his first batter and then gave up an RBI triple to E.J. Daws to put the game within one at 3-2. A sac-fly by Ryan Basham scored Daws to tie the game at 3-3.
Miami will play its first ACC opponent this year, Virginia Tech, on Friday, March 10, at 7 p.m. at Mark Light Field in game one of a three-game ACC series.
