Valencia And Gil Lead Hurricanes To 11-2 Win Against San Francisco In Regional Opener
June 3, 2006
LINCOLN, Neb. (www.hurricanesports.com) -Danny Valencia homered and drove in five runs to lead the Hurricanes to an 11-2 win against San Francisco in the 2006 NCAA Lincoln Regional in front of 3,457 at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park on Friday night. The second-seeded Hurricanes (37-21), who pushed themselves into the winner’s bracket with the win, will take on fourth-seeded Manhattan on Saturday at 8:05 p.m. ET.
Danny Gil (3-2) came through in his first start since February, going a career-high 5.1 innings and giving up three hits, two unearned runs with three walks and four strikeouts to earn the win. Jon McLean and Ricky Orta combined to throw 3.2 innings of scoreless relief for the Hurricanes.
It was also head coach Jim Morris’ 600th win at Miami.
Dons’ starter Scott Cousins (4-3) was touched up for nine runs in 5.1 innings with four walks and four strikeouts in the loss.
Valencia went 2-for-5 and keyed Miami’s offensive spurts, knocking in runs in three of the five innings UM scored in. The five RBI were the most by a Hurricane in a postseason game since Danny Matienzo drove in six runs against Tennessee on June 9, 2001.
Jemile Weeks went 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored and Jon Jay walked twice and hit an RBI triple to lead the Hurricanes’ 11-hit attack.
The Hurricanes did most of their damage early, scoring their leadoff hitter in each of the first three innings to build a 6-0 lead that proved to be more than enough offensive support.
Weeks laced a double to left on the first pitch of the game and Tommy Giles followed with a walk. Jay moved both runners up with a sacrifice bunt, setting up Valencia’s RBI grounder. USF second baseman Joey Railey bobbled the ball on the play, leaving Valencia safe at first and the Hurricanes with one out instead of two. The error proved costly as Giles scored on a two-out wild pitch to Eddy Rodriguez for the 2-0 lead in the first.
UM used a three-run second to grab a 5-0 lead. Gus Menendez singled and Yonder Alonso walked to start the inning, followed by Roger Tomas’ sac bunt. Weeks singled through the left side to drive in Menendez. Jay drew a two-out walk to load the bases and Valencia followed with a two-run single up the middle to increase the lead.
Rodriguez led off the Miami third with a single and moved to third on Menendez’s grounder and a wild pitch. Alonso smacked a single up the middle to bring in Rodriguez for a 6-0 lead.
USF closed the gap to 6-2, scoring off Miami errors in the fourth and sixth innings. Gil issued a pair of walks to start the fourth. It looked as if Gil would work his way out of the situation, but Jonathan Norfolk’s grounder to third was misplayed by Valencia at third, allowing Cousins to score from second to cut the lead to 6-1.
Gil faced a similar situation in the sixth before he was spelled by McLean with one out and the bases loaded. Andrew Smith’s leadoff singles was followed by a potential double-play ball from Cousins to second. Weeks’ throw on the play pulled Tomas off the bag and left both runners safe with no outs. A walk to Luke Sommer loaded the bases and ended Gil’s night. McLean issued a two-out bases-loaded walk to pinch-hitter Blake Nelson, bringing USF within 6-2.
It was as close as the Dons would get. Miami pulled away with a four-run sixth that included a RBI triple from Jay and back-to-back home runs from Valencia and Dennis Raben. Blake Tekotte added a RBI single in the eighth inning for the 11-2 score.
Miami will look to avoid becoming Manhattan’s second upset victim of the Regional on Saturday. The Jaspers used a complete game from All-American pitcher Chris Cody to post a 4-1 win against the Cornhuskers in the first game of the day. UM defeated Cody and the Jaspers, 12-2, on March 15 in at Mark Light Field.
The games can be heard on 90.5 FM, WVUM, WKAT 1360 AM and on WHRC 1550 AM in Miami.
