April 16, 2006
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – Miami pitcher Scott Maine shook off a tough first inning to have a career game and freshman Blake Tekotte homered twice to lead the Hurricanes to a 7-5 win against No. 2 Florida State in front of 4,618 at Dick Howser Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The No. 22 Hurricanes bounced back from Saturday’s 16-1 loss to capture the series and improve to 26-13 overall and 11-7 in the ACC Coastal Division.
Florida State lost its first home series since the 2004 season and dropped to 33-6 overall and 13-5 in the ACC Atlantic Division.
Maine, who had allowed a combined 15 runs in his previous two starts, looked to be headed in that direction again after allowing two runs on three hits in the first inning. He bounced back to record a career-high eight strikeouts and two walks in seven-plus innings to improve to 6-2 this season. The Seminoles managed just three hits and one run off Maine after the first inning.
Tekotte went 3-for-4 with home runs in the second and sixth innings to break out of a 7-for-51 slump over the previous 15 games. His three hits tied a career high. Richard O’Brien homered and drove in two runs and Jon Jay went 2-for-5 to lead Miami. Closer Chris Perez fought through a flu-like illness that kept him from the ballpark on Saturday to strikeout Dennis Guinn to end the game and earn his eighth save of the season.
Jack Rye went 4-for-5 with a double, home run and four RBI to lead Florida State. FSU starter Barret Browning (6-1) had his shortest outing of the season, lasting three-plus innings and giving up five runs, four earned, on seven hits with a walk and three strikeouts.
Miami jumped on Browning early, scoring two runs on three hits in the first. Jemile Weeks led off with a double to left, followed by a bunt single from Jay. Danny Valencia scorched a double down the right-field line to drive in Weeks and put runners on second and third. Yonder Alonso hit a sacrifice fly to right to bring in Jay for the 2-0 lead. Browning walked Rodriguez and hit O’Brien to load the bases but struck out Dennis Raben and Walter Diaz to end the inning.
Florida State wasted no time in tying the game. Shane Robinson and Rye hit back-to-back doubles to lead off the Seminole first and cut Miami’s lead in half. Guinn singled to left to drive in Rye and moved to second on Tekotte’s throw home. Maine settled down and retired three of the next four batters to get out of the inning without any more damage.
A pair of solo home runs pushed Miami’s lead back to two runs. Tekotte led off the second with his third home run of the season to retake the lead. O’Brien hit a two-out solo shot to left on a 3-2 pitch in the third to put the score at 4-2.
Miami kept the pressure on in the fourth with a leadoff double from Diaz. Tekotte laid down a bunt single that moved Diaz to third. Browning tried to make a play at first on the play, but his throw went off Tony Thomas Jr.’s glove and allowed Diaz to cross the plate and make it 5-2. The play meant the end of the day for Browning, who was replaced by reliever Jimmy Marshall.
While Maine’s offensive counterparts were putting runs on the board, he helped his own cause by retiring 13 consecutive batters until Robinson reached on a bang-bang infield single with two outs in the fifth inning.
The Hurricanes were held hitless by Marshall until Tekotte’s second home run of the game, a two-out solo shot to right in the sixth inning that gave Miami a 6-2 lead. O’Brien gave Miami a 7-2 cushion with a two-out RBI single that scored Eddy Rodriguez from second base.
Rye ended Maine’s day in the eighth, homering to right to lead off the inning and cut the lead to 7-3. Danny Gil came on to retire all three outs.
Florida State would not go quietly. Gil loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth, sending FSU’s player of the day, Rye, to the plate. Rye delivered with a two-run single up the middle to bring the Seminoles within 7-5.
Guinn represented the game-winning run, but was set down by Perez, who recorded Miami’s 13th strikeout of the day.