Alonso's 10th-Inning Single Gives Miami 11-10 Win Against Wake Forest
May 13, 2006
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (www.hurricanesports.com) – Yonder Alonso’s bases-loaded single in the 10th inning completed a night full of comebacks for the Miami Hurricanes in an 11-10 win against Wake Forest Friday night at Mark Light Field. The No. 20 Hurricanes battled back from deficits of 6-0 and 10-7 to win their seventh straight and improve to 34-16 overall and 16-10 in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Wake Forest dropped to 32-17 overall and 15-10 in the ACC Atlantic Division.
The Hurricanes loaded the bases in the 10th against Wake’s closer and ACC save leader, Ben Hunter. Jemile Weeks singled to leadoff the inning and moved to second on Tommy Giles’ sac bunt. Hunter intentionally walked Jon Jay and issued another base on balls to Danny Valencia. Alonso drove Hunter’s 0-2 pitch to left-center to score Weeks and end the game.
Miami reliever Chris Perez (3-1) pitched 2.2 innings of scoreless relief, giving up two hits and striking out three. Hunter dropped to 1-2 with the loss, giving up three hits and issuing three walks.
UM freshman left fielder Dennis Raben went 4-for-5 with a career-high four RBI, including a two-run home run in the second inning. Valencia walked three times and homered, while Weeks, Alonso and Eddy Rodriguez all had two hits apiece to lead Miami’s 13-hit attack.
Weldon Woodall drove in three runs and Matt Antonelli and Brett Linnenkohl both had three hits to pace Wake Forest.
Wake Forest opened a 6-0 lead with five runs in the second off Miami starter Manny Miguelez. Miguelez hit Evan Ocheltree with the bases loaded in the first to score Dustin Hood for the game’s first run. Andy Goff doubled the Demon Deacons’ lead in the second with a one-out solo shot to left field. Miguelez walked the bases loaded before giving up a sac fly to Brett Linnenkohl and a RBI single to Woodall. Marcelo Albir relieved Miguelez and was greeted by consecutive singles from Ocheltree and Tyler Smith to score Allan Dykstra and Woodall to push the lead to 6-0.
The Hurricanes cut into the Wake Forest lead in the second on Raben’s two-run home run to right field.
Goff and Antonelli singled to lead off the third and put runners at the corners. Antonelli was caught stealing in a rundown on Albir’s pickoff move, but the play allowed Goff to score for a 7-2 Wake lead.
Miami trimmed the lead to 7-4 in the fourth. Roger Tomas’ two-out bloop single to left brought in Richard O’Brien Jr. from second. Linnenkohl’s throw on the play was errant, allowing Tomas to advance to second. The error proved costly as Raben’s single drove in Tomas.
Jon Jay reached base in the fifth when was hit for the 34th time in his career, setting a school record. Valencia hit a mammoth shot to left to bring the Hurricanes within 7-6. Alonso followed with a double to right, ending Wake starter Eric Niesen’s night in favor of Kyle Young. Rodriguez greeted Young with a RBI single to left to tie the game at 7-7.
Wake retook the lead in the sixth, loading the bases against Miami reliever Andrew Lane on a pair of singles by Antonelli and Linnenkohl, and a walk to Dykstra. Danny Gil relieved Lane and Woodall grounded out to third to score Antonelli. Rodriguez threw the ball into center field on an attempt to pickoff Linnenkohl at second, scoring Dykstra to put the Deacs up 9-7.
Hood and Dykstra hit one-out singles off Gil in the eighth to put runners on the corners for Wake Forest. Chris Perez relieved Gil and struck out Linnenkohl for the second out of the inning. Dykstra moved to second, uncontested, before Woodall hit a seeing-eye single to the right side of the infield. Hood scored, but Dykstra was thrown out at the plate on a perfect throw home from Tommy Giles, ending the inning with Wake Forest up 10-7.
Rodriguez started the Hurricane eighth with a hit that ricocheted off reliever Josh Ellis. Tomas moved Rodriguez to second with a sac bunt and Raben ripped his fourth hit of the night, a double to center to bring in Rodriguez. Weeks followed with a single to left. Raben beat the throw home, allowing Weeks to move to second. Jay singled to center to score Weeks and tie the game at 10-10.
Miami and Wake Forest will meet again in the series finale at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Mark Light Field.
NOTES: Jon Jay walked in the first inning to tie a career high with 29 walks in a season, matching his season total from last year … Lane’s appearance was the 88th of his career, tying him with Alex Prendes for eighth on the all-time career appearances and career relief appearances lists.
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