No. 1 Miami Completes Sweep of No. 16 Virginia, 10-0
April 27, 2008
<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
CORAL GABLES, <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Fla. – Sophomore third baseman Mark Sobolewski tied a career-high with six RBI and senior right-hander Enrique Garcia tossed seven scoreless innings as No. 1 Miami (36-5, 20-2 ACC) shut out No. 16 Virginia, 10-0, completing a three-game series sweep of the Cavaliers (32-15, 13-11 ACC) Sunday afternoon at Mark Light Field.
Sobolewski finished 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, six RBI and one run scored as Miami swept its fourth three-game series this season over an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent.
Garcia (3-1), making his ninth start of the season, scattered three hits and two walks over seven innings while striking out five Cavaliers to earn his third win of the season. Relievers Anthony Nalepa and P.J. Fisher each pitched a scoreless inning in relief sealing the win for Garcia and the shutout for the Hurricanes.
Sophomore shortstop Ryan Jackson also had three hits for UM, going 3-for-5 with two RBI. Blake Tekotte and Adan Severino each went 2-for-4 with Tekotte finishing the contest as one of four Hurricanes along with Jemile Weeks, Yonder Alonso and Dennis Raben to score two runs.
Virginia starter Andrew Carraway (3-3) suffered the loss for UVa, allowing five earned runs on 10 hits while walking one and striking out four in 4 1/3 innings. Neal Davis, Robert Morey, Jeff Lorick and Tyler Wilson combined to toss the final 3 2/3 innings for the Cavaliers. David Coleman led the Cavaliers at the plate going 2-for-4.
Miami scored three runs in the bottom of the first. Tekotte and Weeks led off the inning with back-to-back singles to right and left respectively. With one out, Tekotte scored UM’s first run from third on a Sobolewski groundout to second. Weeks came across for the second run of the inning when an error by UVa rightfielder David Coleman allowed him to score putting the Canes ahead, 2-0. Jackson followed Coleman’s error with a single to left, scoring Raben from second to give UM the three-run advantage.
Sobolewski’s homer – a three-run blast – and an RBI single by Jackson in the bottom of the fifth extended UM’s lead to 7-0. Tekotte led off the inning with a double to left-center and after a Weeks’ sacrifice bunt moved him over, Alonso was intentionally walked to put runners on the corners. Sobolewski then blasted his fifth home run of the season. Raben followed Sobolewski with a double off the wall in left-center and scored moments later when Jackson smacked his third single of the game to left.
Sobolewski’s fifth and sixth RBI of the game came in the sixth when he scored Weeks from second and Alonso from first with a double down the left field line, pushing Miami’s lead to 9-0.
UM’s final run came in the seventh when Ryan Perry, pinch-hitting for Weeks, singled through the right side to bring home Yasmani Grandal from second making it, 10-0.
Miami will return to the field next weekend for a non-conference series with St. Mary’s (Calif.), May 2-4, at Mark Light Field.
Game and Series Notes
-Sophomore third baseman Mark Sobolewski tied a career-high with six RBI.
-Senior right-hander Enrique Garcia tossed at least seven innings for the third time in nine starts this season.
-The series win was UM’s 10th straight to open the season. It also marked the fifth three-game sweep overall and fourth in ACC play for UM this season.
– The win gives Miami its most conference wins in a single season (20) since the team joined the ACC in 2005.
– Miami’s pitching staff posted a 0.64 team ERA in the series against Virginia. Hurricane pitchers combined to strike out 30 in 28 innings and held the Cavaliers to a .144 opponent batting average. Freshman lefty Chris Hernandez matched a career-high with 11 strikeouts in the series opening 1-0 shutout. He tossed a career-long eight innings. Senior right-hander Enrique Garcia allowed just three hits and struck out five in seven innings.
– The last time, the Hurricanes recorded two shutouts in a three-game series was during the 1998 season when UM defeated Harvard in the series opener, 7-0, and won 10-0 in game two of the series.
– Miami hit just .276 in the Virginia series led by sophomore third baseman Mark Sobolewski, who hit .462 (6-for-13) with a double, a three-run home run and six RBI. Blake Tekotte had four hits and two runs scored in the series.
