10-Run Sixth Leads No. 1 UM to 11-4 Win over No. 2 FSU
April 18, 2008
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<?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Junior second baseman Jemile Weeks collected three hits and started a 10-run sixth inning as No. 1 Miami (32-3, 16-1 ACC) rallied to knock off No. 2 Florida State, 11-4, Friday night in the first game of the Atlantic Coast Conference series in front of a Dick Howser Stadium record crowd of 6,756 fans. It was the first ever 10-run inning by the Hurricanes in the series that dates back to 1951.
Blake Tekotte, Dennis Raben, Mark Sobolewski and Ryan Jackson each had a pair of hits for the Hurricanes, who ended up out-hitting the Seminoles (33-4, 17-2 ACC), 14-10, but it was Miami’s pitching staff that silenced the nation’s third-best scoring offense. UM starter Chris Hernandez, Kyle Bellamy, Rene Guerra and PJ Fisher combined to strike out 13 Seminoles – the most strikeouts by the FSU offense this season. Bellamy, Guerra and Fisher held FSU to one hit in the final four innings. Hernandez (6-0) won for the sixth time this season as he allowed four runs on a season-high nine hits and struck out five. Bellamy tossed two scoreless and hitless innings and recorded four strikeouts before giving way to Guerra and Fisher to finish off the win.
FSU starter Matt Fairel (8-1) lost for the first time this season. Fairel gave up eight runs, six earned, all in the sixth inning. He was knocked around for 10 hits and struck out four.
Right fielder Jack Rye led FSU going 3-for-4. First baseman Dennis Guinn had three RBI – two of them coming on his 12th homer in the fifth inning.
Weeks led off the sixth inning with single up the middle Miami went on to score 10 runs on six hits and three Seminole errors to take a six-run lead. After Weeks base-hit, Yonder Alonso walked. With one out, Raben walked the bases loaded. UM then got three straight singles from Jackson, Joey Terdoslavich and Dave DiNatale to come within, 4-3. Jason Hagerty then reached on an error with the bases loaded tying the game, 4-4. Tekotte followed with a double down the right field line putting Miami ahead, 6-4. Back-to-back errors by the Seminoles allowed two more runs to score as Miami led, 8-4. With the infield drawn in and one out, Sobolewski singled up the middle scoring a pair of runs as UM lead, 10-4.
After another Tekotte double, Weeks’ RBI single to right field put the Hurricanes ahead, 11-4, in the top of the eighth to finish out the scoring.
Dennis Guinn’s two-out two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth gave the Seminoles a 4-0 lead.
Florida State jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second on Stewart Tapley’s RBI single that allowed Tony Delmonico to score. The Seminoles pushed their lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the third as Buster Posey led off with a single and stole second. After Rye singled to left field, Guinn reached on an error allowing Posey to score.
Game two of the series is slated for 7 p.m. Saturday night. Senior RHP Enrique Garcia (2-0, 5.56 ERA) will face FSU right-hander Geoff Parker (3-1, 2.64 ERA). Saturday night’s game can be heard nationally on XM Radio Channel 190.
Game Notes
– The 10 runs scored in the sixth inning were the most runs by the Hurricanes in an inning this season. The Hurricanes scored nine runs in the third inning in a 23-2 win over WakeForest in the second game of the series.
– The 10-run sixth inning was also the most runs in an inning by the Hurricanes against the Seminoles.
– The 13 strikeouts by the Hurricane pitchers were the most by FSU hitters in a game this season.
– Miami scored at least 10 runs for the seventh time on the road. UM has played 11 road games.
– Junior second baseman Jemile Weeks posted at least three hits in a game for the sixth time.
