Sobolewski Ties School Record as No. 4 Miami Wins, 20-9
March 18, 2008
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CORAL GABLES, <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Fla. – Sophomore third baseman Mark Sobolewski tied a school record going 6-for-6 as he drove in five runs to lead No. 4 Miami (14-2) to a 20-9 win over Cornell Tuesday night at Mark Light Field. Sobolewski’s six hits tied the mark set by Mike Fiore on May 12, 1985, which was matched again by Kevin Howard on May 11, 2002.
Junior first baseman Yonder Alonso and sophomore shortstop Ryan Jackson each collected two hits and three RBI for the Hurricanes, who scored 20 runs for the first time since the 2005 season. Junior right fielder Dennis Raben finished 1-for-1 with a career-high four runs scored. Sophomore right-hander Alex Koronis won his first game of the season. He allowed four runs on two hits in 2 2/3 innings. David Gutierrez struck out three in three hitless and scoreless innings of relief. Miami out-hit Cornell, 16-10 in the contest.
Big Red third baseman Nathan Ford led Cornell (4-6) going 3-for-4 with three RBI. Cornell starter Bryce Klinesteker took the loss as he allowed eight earned runs on seven hits and walked four in one inning of work. Big Red pitchers walked 13 batters in the game.
Sobolewski tied the record in the bottom of the eighth when he skied a 1-1 pitch high into shallow center field, which fell in for a base-hit. The Hurricanes tacked on eight runs in their final two innings. Yasmani Grandal and Jackson each drove in runs with the bases loaded in the eighth giving UM the 11-run lead.
Sobolewski’s two-run double sparked a six-run seventh inning extending the Miami lead to 18-9. Jackson ripped a two-run single in the inning while Jonathan Weislow added a sacrifice fly for a run and Jackson scored on an error to finish the scoring in the seventh.
Cornell rallied from an eight-run deficit to pull within, 11-9, in the top of the fifth with six runs with two outs. The Big Red took advantage of three walks issued by UM pitchers. Catcher Aaron Jacobs hit a two-run single with the bases loaded drawing Cornell within 11-6. Domenic Di Ricco’s RBI single then made it, 11-7. After UM’s second pitching change in the inning with two outs, Ford singled up the middle scoring two more runs getting the Big Red within, 11-9.
Miami pushed it to 12-9 in the bottom of the fifth when Sobolewski drove in Raben, who doubled with one out.
The Hurricanes erupted for 11 runs over the first three innings after falling behind 2-0 in the first. Alonso’s RBI single to right center scored Blake Tekotte bringing Miami within, 2-1. Sobolewski tied the game with a base-hit to right field, 2-2. After Alonso scored on a fielding error, Adan Severino ripped a two-run double to left center giving Miami a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the first.
The Big Red came within, 5-3, in the top of the second, but UM tacked on three runs in the bottom of the second. Back-to-back doubles from Jemile Weeks and Alonso scored runs and a RBI fielder’s choice gave UM an 8-3 lead. An Alonso groundout, a Raben sacrifice fly and another Sobolewski RBI single extended the UM lead to 11-3 in the bottom of the third.
Miami continues a seven-game homestand when the Hurricanes host New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) at 7 p.m. Wednesday. It will be Win-a-Jersey Wednesday at Mark Light Field. Sophomore right-hander John Housey (0-0, 9.00 ERA) will start for the Hurricanes.
