Clemson Edges Miami In Series Opener, 8-6
March 31, 2006
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – The 13th-ranked Miami baseball team dug itself an early hole and was kept at arm’s length trying to get out of it in an 8-6 loss to No. 9 Clemson in front of 2,312 Friday night at Mark Light Field. UM dropped to 23-8 overall and 8-2 in the ACC, while the Tigers improved to 18-7 and 4-3 in conference play.
Yonder Alonso led the Hurricanes with a home run and three RBI. Danny Valencia, Tommy Giles and Blake Tekotte all had two hits apiece for Miami. The Tigers were led by a pair of two-run home runs from Adrian Casanova and Taylor Harbin, and first baseman Andy D’Alessio drove in three runs with a pair of doubles and a single.
UM starter Carlos Gutierrez (7-2) lost his second game of the season after giving up seven runs on seven hits in five innings. Clemson reliever Alex Martin (2-0) pitched four solid innings of relief to earn the win. Daniel Moskos picked up his third save of the season by pitching scoreless eighth and ninth innings and striking out three for Clemson.
Miami fought back from two two-run deficits and almost came back from a three-run deficit in the loss. But Clemson had an answer for every Miami rally and took advantage of its scoring opportunities to go along 10 hits, two of which were home runs. Three of the Tigers’ eight runs originally reached base via walk or a hit-by-pitch. A possible third out on a failed pickoff attempt in the fourth inning resulted in a two-run home run for the Tigers.
Clemson jumped to a quick lead in the first on D’Alessio’s two-run ground-rule double down the left-field line that scored Herman Demmink and Brad Chalk.
Miami cut the lead in half in the second on Dennis Raben’s one-out grounder to score Valencia from third.
The Tigers added to its lead in the third, courtesy of D’Allesio, who hit a sharp line drive that ricocheted off Gutierrez’s thigh. Instead of possibly lining into a double play, D’Allesio’s ball turned into a ground out and allowed Chalk to score from third for a 3-1 cushion.
Miami took the lead with three runs in its half of the third. Tekotte led off the inning with a double to left and Jemile Weeks was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second with no outs. Jon Jay laid down a sacrifice bunt that was thrown away by third baseman Demmink, allowing Jay to reach safely and Tekotte to score from second. Alonso hit a sacrifice fly to deep left field to drive in Weeks and tie the game at 3-3. Clemson starter Josh Cribb walked Valencia and was replaced by reliever Martin, who hit Tommy Giles to load the bases. Eddy Rodriguez grounded out to third to score Jay and give Miami a 4-3 lead.
The Tigers answered with a pair of two-run home runs in the fourth. Gutierrez hit Stan Widmann with one out and then gave up a two-run shot to Casanova to put Clemson up 5-4. Chalk reached on a two-out single, but looked to be in trouble on a pickoff move from Gutierrez and took off for second base. The throw from first and tag were not in time and Chalk was safe at second. Harbin made the Hurricanes pay for the missed tag, hitting his seventh home run of the season to left for the 7-4 lead.
Alonso brought Miami within 7-6 in the seventh with a two-run bomb to right-center off Martin. It was as close as the Hurricanes would get. Clemson added an insurance run in the ninth, stealing home with the bases loaded for the final 8-6 score.
Miami and Clemson resume their series at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Mark Light Field.
Notes: Jemile Weeks went 0-for-3 with a run scored, snapping his 16-game hitting streak and leaving him tied with Jim Maler (1977) for the longest hitting streak by a freshman at Miami.
