Miami Defeats Manhattan 10-4 To Advance Out Of NCAA Lincoln Regional
June 4, 2006
LINCOLN, Neb. (www.hurricanesports.com) – Miami endured an early assault from upset-minded Manhattan and came away with a 10-4 win to capture the 2006 NCAA Lincoln Regional at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park on Sunday night. Led by Scott Maine’s dominance in the in the latter part of the game and the offensive performances of Jemile Weeks and Jon Jay, the Hurricanes won their 13th-straight Regional Championship and advanced to the Oxford Super Regional, where they will play Mississippi next week.
Maine shook off a shaky start that saw him give up three runs in the first two innings, and threw UM’s first complete-game win since the 2004 season. He used just 97 pitches and gave up six hits, three earned runs and struck out four to improve to 11-3.
Weeks, who was named the Regional’s Most Outstanding Player after going 7-for-12 with four doubles, four RBI and eight runs scored in the three games, saved his best performance for last. UM’s freshman second baseman went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a career-high four runs scored to lead the `Canes. Jay homered and drove in a season-high four runs and freshman Blake Tekotte doubled twice and scored three times.
Fourth-seeded Manhattan took its momentum – and its pitcher – from a 6-4 win against San Francisco earlier in the day into its game with Miami. Jasper starter Matt Nevins (3-6), who earned a save with an inning of work earlier in the day, kept the `Canes at bay while Manhattan built a 4-3 lead through five innings.
But Maine got stronger as the game went on and the Hurricanes were able to get to Nevins and reliever Kyle Wirtz with a combined seven runs in the sixth and seventh innings.
Down a run in the sixth, Tekotte and Weeks led off the inning with back-to-back doubles to knot the game at 4-4. Tommy Giles followed with a bullet back to the mound that bounced off Nevins’ glove for a single to put runners on the corners. Jay followed with a high chopper off Wirtz that scored Weeks and give the Hurricanes a 5-4 lead it would not relinquish.
The `Canes pulled away with a five-run seventh that included a RBI double from Tekotte, two-run single from Weeks and a two-run home run from Jay.
Maine cruised with the lead, retiring 14 of the last 15 hitters he faced to preserve to earn the win.
Five Hurricanes joined Weeks on the All-Tournament Team, including catcher Eddy Rodriguez, shortstop Roger Tomas, third baseman Danny Valencia and outfielders Jay and Giles.
Miami will learn its Super Regional schedule on Monday when the sites are announced.
