NCAA Coral Gables Super Regional: Miami Evens Series with 14-10 Win

June 8, 2008

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CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) Four different players hit home runs as top-ranked Miami beat Arizona 14-10 and evened their Super Regional series Saturday night.

Yonder Alonso and Yasmani Grandal each hit three-run homers and Mark Sobolewski hit a go-ahead solo home run as the Hurricanes (51-9) rallied from an early four-run deficit. Jason Hagerty also homered for Miami.

Sobolewski’s leadoff homer off Arizona reliever Mike Colla (4-3) in the sixth put Miami ahead 8-7. Grandal’s shot later in the inning extended the Hurricanes’ lead 11-7.

The Hurricanes added another run in the seventh on Hagerty’s bases-loaded walk in the seventh.

Miami’s Dennis Raben walked six times, tying an NCAA record previously set by Oklahoma State’s Josh Holliday May 29, 1999.

Arizona pitchers walked a school record 16 batters.

The game lasted 4:14. The third and deciding game will be Sunday night at 7 p.m. and televised on ESPN2. Arizona won the opener 6-3 Friday night.

“It’s the biggest win of the year,” Miami head coach Jim Morris said. “It puts the pressure back on them and gives us the momentum.”

Jon Gaston hit his second home run of the regional in the seventh as his two-run shot reduced the Miami lead 12-9. The Wildcats (42-18) got within two on Rafael Valenzuela’s RBI double in the eighth.

But the Hurricanes added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth. Alonso scored on Arizona third baseman C.J. Ziegler’s fielding error and Adan Severino hit a run-scoring single.

David Gutierrez (5-0) pitched four innings in relief for the win.

The Hurricanes erased a 4-0 deficit with a six-run fourth inning. Haggerty’s two-run home run cut Arizona’s lead to 4-3 and Jemile Weeks’ run-scoring single tied it 4-4. Alonso followed with his home run, which gave Miami a 7-4 lead and chased Arizona starter David Coulon.

Coulon surrendered seven runs and six hits, walked five and struck out four.

Miami scored its first run on Sobolewski’s RBI double in the third. Sobolewski doubled twice after going hitless Friday night.

“I went up there with the same approach (Saturday),” Sobolewski said. “Obviously I had much better results.”

The Wildcats struck early with four runs against Miami starter Eric Erickson in the first. Gaston hit a run-scoring double and Ziegler followed with his 20th home run of the year. T.J. Steele singled, stole second and scored on Mike Weldon’s RBI single for Arizona’s fourth run of the inning.

Erickson settled down with quick innings in the second and third but was lifted with one out in the fourth after surrendering the lead.

Steele scored on a balk and reduced Miami’s lead 7-5. Valenzuela hit an RBI groundout and Colt Sedbrook followed with a run-scoring single.

Erickson allowed seven runs, walked three and struck out one.