Hurricanes Defeat Virginia Tech 12-3 For Ninth Straight Win
March 11, 2006
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – Miami used a seven-run sixth inning to break open a tight game and ensure itself of a series victory with a 12-3 win against Virginia Tech in front of 2,082 Saturday night at Mark Light Field. The No. 21 Hurricanes (15-6, 2-0 ACC) got another solid start out of sophomore left-hander Manny Miguelez (4-1, 2.09 ERA) and plenty of offense to assure them of their ninth straight victory and second in ACC play.
Jemile Weeks hit his first career home run for the `Canes and drove in a career-high three runs. Yonder Alonso continued his RBI onslaught, driving in four runs to give him 30 RBI in the first 21 games of his Miami career, including three on his third home run of the year in the seventh. Eddy Rodriguez went 3-for-4 with an RBI, including a double and a single, in the sixth inning.
Miguelez went six and one-third innings, giving up three earned runs on five hits. Ryan Kennedy (1-1) was charged with the loss for Virginia Tech and went five-plus innings, giving up five earned runs on eight hits.
Miami took a 2-0 lead in the third when Weeks followed Blake Tekotte’s one-out single with a blast over the scoreboard in left field. Alonso capped the Hurricanes’ scoring with his third home run of the season, a three run blast in the seventh. The real damage was done when the `Canes scored seven runs, aided by six hits and two Hokie errors in the bottom of the sixth. Gus Menendez’s single with the bases loaded was misplayed by left fielder Billy Marn, allowing three runs to score. Rodriguez got his second hit of the inning an RBI single, after his double earlier in the inning, to end the scoring. Virginia Tech used four different pitchers in the inning.
Trailing 2-0, Virginia Tech (7-6, 0-2) cut the lead in half with consecutive doubles from Matt Hacker and Bryan Thomas to start the sixth inning. Migulez’s throw to pick off Thomas at second base got by Walter Diaz and allowed Thomas to reach third with no outs. Miguelez was able to work out of the jam forcing three ground outs to get out of the inning. Miguelez returned in the seventh after a long bottom half of the sixth and had control issues. The `Canes relievers didn’t fare much better, the staff surrendered five walks and allowed two runs to score in the inning on no hits making it 9-3. That was as close as the Hokies would get though, finishing with three runs on six hits and two errors.
