Hurricanes Defeat Virginia Tech 14-3 In ACC Opener
March 10, 2006
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – Miami broke open a tight game with an eight-run eighth inning that included a two-run triple from freshman leadoff man Blake Tekotte in a 14-3 win against Virginia Tech in the ACC opener for both teams at Mark Light Field Friday night. A crowd of 1,720 watched the Hurricanes win their eighth straight game and improve to 14-6 overall and 1-0 in the ACC.
The Miami freshman trio of Tekotte, Jemile Weeks and Yonder Alonso combined for six hits, six runs and six RBI. Tekotte went 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Weeks scored three runs and went 2-for-3 at the plate and Alonso hit his team-leading eighth double of the season and drove in three runs. UM catcher Eddy Rodriguez doubled, homered, drove in two runs and turned in a solid defensive effort behind the plate, throwing out two runners for the second time this season.
Miami reliever Jon McLean (1-0) needed only three pitches to earn his first win of the season, forcing Matt Hacker to ground out to second base with runners at the corners and two outs in the sixth inning. UM starter Carlos Gutierrez (5-1) battled back after a rough start and went five and two-thirds innings and gave up three runs on eight hits in the no-decision. David Cross (1-2) was charged with the loss for the Hokies (7-5, 0-1) and lasted six and one-third innings, giving up five earned runs on eight hits with three walks and a strikeout.
Junior setup man Danny Gil threw two hitless innings of relief for Miami before giving way to closer Chris Perez, who finished the game with a scoreless ninth inning.
Virginia Tech jumped to a 3-0 lead after Gutierrez allowed each of the first four Hokies to reach base. Nate Parks led off the game with a single, followed by a walk to Matt Hacker, bunt single from Bryan Thomas and run-scoring single from Sean 0’Brien. Jose Cueto followed with a sacrifice fly to right to score Hacker. Virginia Tech went up 3-0 on Sehldon Adams’ grounder to shortstop. Billy Marn grounded out to third to end the inning.
Miami nearly mirrored Virginia Tech’s start to knot the game at 3-3 after one inning. Tekotte singled, Weeks walked and Jon Jay reached on an error to load the bases with no outs. Alonso, hitting in the cleanup spot, tied the game with a double off the left field wall to clear the bases, but was thrown out trying to take third on the throw home from left field.
Danny Valencia drove a two-out, 3-2 pitch from Cross to the left-center gap to score Weeks from second and give Miami its first lead of the game, 4-3. Tommy Giles followed with a double off the left field wall to score Valencia and give Miami a 5-3 cushion.
Rodriguez added an insurance home run to lead off the Miami seventh before the Hurricane deluge in the eighth. Alonso scored on a bases-loaded grounder from Rodriguez and Walter Diaz hit a two-run single to drive in Giles and Dennis Raben for the 9-3 lead. Tekotte tripled down the left field line to bring in Rodriguez and Diaz. Weeks followed with a single to score Tekotte. Jay walked and scored two batters later on a pinch-hit single from Gus Menendez for the 14-3 score.
The Hurricanes and Hokies continue their series with a 7 p.m. first pitch on Saturday at Mark Light Field.
