No. 11 Miami Takes Series with 6-3 Win over Phoenix
Feb. 25, 2007
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – – Dennis Raben led No. 11 Miami’s 12-hit attack by going 3-for-5 with two RBIs and sophomore Jason Santana tossed three scoreless innings in relief as the Hurricanes won the series with a 6-3 victory over Elon Sunday afternoon at Mark Light Field. Yonder Alonso went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs while Ryan Jackson and Jemile Weeks each had two hits for Miami (6-5), which won its second straight series at home.
Santana (2-0) didn’t allow a hit in three innings and struck out two to pick up his second win of the season. Enrique Garcia pitched two scoreless innings for UM. Starter Manny Miguelez tossed three innings and limited Elon to two runs, both unearned, on three hits, but he walked three batters. Miguelez had three strikeouts.
Zach Booker (0-1) took the loss for the Phoenix (5-4) as he allowed three runs on four hits. He walked five batters. Second baseman Matt Hill led Elon going 1-for-2 with one run and two RBIs.
Miami jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Weeks tripled down the right field line and scored on Roger Tomas’ sacrifice bunt. The Phoenix tied things up in the top of the second. Ryan Addison hit a two-out single through the right side. Drew Davis had an infield single and Addison reached third on an error. Hill’s RBI single tied it, 1-1.
Elon capitalized on a Miami error and three walks to take a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth. Pat Irvine walked and reached second on an error. Davis followed with a walk to load the bases with no outs. Hill then drew a bases-loaded walk to score Irvine for Elon’s one-run lead. Santana relieved Miguelez and struck out the first batter he faced. He recorded a ground out and got Adam Weaver to line out to get out of the bases-loaded jam.
Two runs came across for UM in the bottom of the fourth. Dave DiNatale was hit by a pitch and scored on Dennis Raben’s ground-rule double tying the game, 2-2. Miami took the lead back when Weeks drew a bases loaded walk to score Raben putting the Hurricanes ahead, 3-2.
Miami stretched its lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth on Raben’s RBI single to center field that scored Mark Sobolewski. The Hurricanes tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the seventh. Jackson reached on a bunt single and Tekotte walked. Tomas walked to load the bases. Alonso ripped a two-run single to right field to score Tekotte and Jackson for a 6-2 lead.
Elon pulled within 6-3 in the top of the ninth on Jordy Snyder’s ground out that scored Hill. Irvine, Addison, Davis and Chris Dove each had one hit for Elon.
Miami returns to action when the Hurricanes take on the Florida Marlins in an exhibition game at Roger Dean Stadium on Tuesday at 3:05 p.m.
Series Notes: Sobolewski went 8-for-14 with three runs, three doubles and 10 RBI in the Elon series. He hit .571 and walked twice … Miami hit .362 as a team while Elon hit .216 in the series … Miami relief pitchers had another good series holding the Phoenix to six hits in 15.1 innings and only two earned runs … Dennis Raben, Yonder Alonso and Dave DiNatale each had four hits in the series. Raben matched a career-high with three hits in the series finale … Miami out-hit Elon, 38-22 … Jason Santana improved to 2-0 on the season after throwing three scoreless innings. He has only allowed one hit in his last 6 2/3 innings pitched … freshman LHP Eric Erickson won his first career game in the second game of the series.
