No. 2 Seed Miami Stays Alive with 8-7 Win over No. 4 Seed Kent State
June 2, 2007
COLUMBIA, Mo. – – Miami’s Enrique Garcia tossed 7 1/3 strong innings while Danny Gil earned his sixth save and Gus Menendez made a key defensive play in the bottom of the ninth as the second-seeded Hurricanes (37-23) kept their postseason hopes alive with an 8-7 win over No. 4 seed Kent State Saturday afternoon at Taylor Stadium in the first elimination game of the NCAA Columbia (Mo.) Regional. Right fielder Dave DiNatale went a career-best 3-for-3 with one run and one RBI to lead a Miami offense that had 13 hits.
Dennis Raben, Mark Sobolewski and Richard O’Brien each had two hits for the Hurricanes. Garcia (8-4) four-hit the Golden Flashes through seven innings before running into trouble in the bottom of the eighth. He ended up allowing six runs on five hits and struck out six. Gil worked Miami out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the eighth with a strikeout with two outs. He threw 1 2/3 innings, allowed one hit, walked two and struck out another three.
Left fielder Anthony Gallas went 2-for-5 with three RBI for the Golden Flashes. Brad Winter also had two hits and two runs. Kent State starter Evan Smith (4-5) gave up three earned runs on five hits in 3 1/3 innings and walked three in dropping his fifth decision.
Miami led 8-1 heading into the bottom of the eighth. Kent State loaded the bases with no outs on a double, walk and hit by pitch. Doug Sanders was hit by a pitch to bring in a run pulling the Golden Flashes within, 8-2. Andrew Davis’ RBI single made it, 8-3. Gallas bases clearing double drew Kent State within, 8-6. A fielding error by the Hurricanes allowed the sixth run of the inning to score to make it, 8-7. After Kent State loaded the bases again, Gil recorded a strikeout to end the inning.
Kent State threatened again in the bottom of the ninth after a leadoff double from Chris Tremblay. Gil then fielded a bunt in the next at-bat and threw out Tremblay at third base as Menedez made a diving catch and tag to get the leadoff runner out. He then posted the final two outs saving Garcia’s eighth win.
Blake Tekotte’s leadoff home run in the top of the first put UM ahead, 1-0. Sobolewski led off the top of second with his seventh home run giving UM a 2-0 lead.Sanders’ sacrifice fly cut the Miami lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the second.
O’Brien doubled to left center to bring in Sobolewski in the top of the fourth for a 3-1 Miami lead. Two innings later, O’Brien drove in Raben after he hit his first double of the game putting UM ahead, 4-1, in the top of the sixth. DiNatale’s RBI single in the sixth gave the Hurricanes a 5-1 lead.
Miami tacked on a pair of runs in the top of the seventh after a Yonder Alonso double. Raben hit his second double of the game scoring Alonso for a 6-1 lead. Menendez then dropped in an RBI single along the right field line putting UM ahead, 7-1.
Roger Tomas’ RBI single in the top of the eighth scored DiNatale capping off the scoring for Miami.
Miami will now face the loser of the game between top-seeded Missouri and No. 3 seed Louisville at 2 p.m. (ET)/1 p.m. (CT) Sunday.
