Gators Hold On to Knock Off No. 5 Miami Baseball, 7-5
Feb. 17, 2007
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – – Yonder Alonso went 2-for-4 with three RBI, but Florida used a five-run fourth inning to take a four-run lead and held on to defeat No. 5 Miami, 7-5, in the second game of the three-game series at McKethan Stadium. Freshman shortstop Ryan Jackson posted a 2-for-5 performance for the Hurricanes who fell to 3-4.
Patrick Keating earned the win in relief for the Gators (4-2), who won their seventh straight game over the Hurricanes in the series. David Hurst picked up the save for Florida.
Miami freshman Eric Erickson suffered his first loss of the season. Erickson allowed five runs, three earned, on four hits and struck out four in four innings of relief. After a rough fourth inning, he settled down to retire the last 10 batters he faced. Senior right-hander Danny Gil started for the Hurricanes and pitched three innings. He held UF to two runs on five hits and had two strikeouts.
With Florida ahead 7-3 heading into the sixth, Miami started a rally when Dave DiNatale doubled down the right field line and moved to third on Dennis Raben’s base-hit to right field. Mark Sobolewski grounded out to score DiNatale pulling UM within, 7-4.
Miami pulled within 7-5 in the top of the seventh. Jemile Weeks hit a fly ball high into left field that dropped for a double. Alonso’s third RBI of the game brought in Weeks as the Hurricanes got within the two runs.
In the top of the eighth, Raben reached on a two-base error when Florida’s left fielder dropped a fly, but Gator pitcher Josh Edmondson retired the next three batters to end the threat. Enrique Garcia then retired all three batters he faced in the bottom of the eighth for Miami.
Jackson tried to start a two-out rally in the ninth with a single to left center, but Alonso’s hard-hit fly ball to left field was caught to end the game.
Florida overcame a 3-2 deficit with a five-run fourth inning. Matt den Dekker drew a game-tying bases loaded walk. UF went ahead 4-3 on a UM fielding error with the bases loaded. Dustin Bamberg’s RBI single gave the Gators a 5-3 lead. Jonathan Pigott then had a two-run single as UF led, 7-3.
Miami took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth after Sobolewski singled and moved to second on an error. He scored when Gus Menendez singled to center field.
The Hurricanes wasted no time taking a 2-0 lead on Yonder Alonso’s fourth home run of the season in the top of the first. His two-run shot over the left field wall scored Ryan Jackson, who reached on a one-out single. Florida scratched across a run in the bottom of the first when Jon Townsend doubled and scored on Cole Figueroa’s base hit to make it, 2-1. Florida tied the game in the bottom of the third when Figueroa led off with a solo home run to right field.
Townsend finished 2-for-5 with two runs for the Gators. Figueroa was 2-for-5 with two RBIs.
Miami and Florida will wrap up their three-game series Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. UM LHP Manny Miguelez will face UF freshman RHP Billy Bullock. The game will be televised by SunSports.
