Hagerty's Two Homers Lead No. 12 Miami Past Rutgers, 18-9
Feb. 22, 2009
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Junior Jason Hagerty hit a home run from both sides of the plate and sophomore left-hander Iden Nazario tossed six effective innings in his first career start as the 12th-ranked University of Miami baseball team won the series finale over Rutgers, 18-9, Sunday afternoon at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.
Miami (3-1) clinched the series win with Sunday’s victory, taking three-of-four from Rutgers (1-3) in the season-opening series for both teams.
Hagerty, who finished the day 2-for-4 with three runs scored and a career-high six RBI, hit a fifth-inning grand slam from the right side of the plate an inning before blasting a two-run shot from the left side. Nazario allowed three runs on just four hits while striking out eight and walking just one to earn his first career win.
Freshman Harold Martinez had his best day at the plate as a Hurricane, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBI while Ryan Jackson (3-for-4, one RBI) and Scott Lawson (2-for-3, two RBI) each scored three runs.
The Hurricanes took an early 2-1 lead after one and never looked back, scoring one in the third, two in the fourth, five in the fifth, five in the sixth and three in the eighth.
Jayson Hernandez started the scoring for Rutgers with an RBI single up the middle with two outs in the first, putting the Scarlet Knights up 1-0 early on.
It didn’t take long for the `Canes to take the lead for good. After Nathan Melendres led off the bottom of the first with a single up the middle, Scott Lawson hit his first career home run with a shot to left, putting UM up 2-1.
Chris Herrmann made it 3-1 in the third when his sacrifice fly to deep center scored Lawson, who had walked earlier in the inning, from third.
The Hurricanes scored their fourth and fifth runs in the fourth before breaking the game wide open in the fifth. Martinez started the five-run fifth when he hit his first career double to score Yasmani Grandal from third. The Hurricanes then proceeded to load the bases for Hagerty, who immdediately cleared them with just his second career grand slam.
Martinez and Hagerty were at it again the sixth. After UM loaded the bases, Martinez hit a two-run single scoring Lawson and Grandal to push Miami’s lead back to nine. Two batters later, Jackson tripled just before Hagerty – hitting from the left side this time – smacked his second of the day over the wall in right.
The `Canes added three more runs in the eighth, capped off by a Ryan Perry two-run double.
Rutgers was held scoreless after the first inning until scoring two in the sixth, three in the seventh, one in the eighth and two in the ninth.
Kyle Bradley started for Rutgers and suffered the loss, allowing three earned runs in 3 1/3 innings. Steven Zavala allowing five runs in just 1 2/3 innings in relief of Bradley before Billy Murphy, Willie Beard, Greg Bayard and Ryan Beard finished out the game for the Scarlet Knights. Michael Lang had the best day at the plate for Rutgers, going 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBI.
For UM, Jason Santana and Sam Robinson relieved Nazario with Santana allowing four runs in two innings of work while Robinson allowed two unearned runs in the ninth.
Miami will make its first road trip of 2009 when it heads to Gainesville to take on in-state rival Florida in a three-game set, Feb. 27 – March 1.
Game Notes
– Jason Hagerty became the first Hurricane to hit home runs from both sides of the plate in a game since Adam Ricks accomplished the feat on March 17, 2004 against USF.
– The Hurricanes hit for the cycle as a team in the sixth inning, marking the first time the `Canes accomplished the feat since doing so against Louisville on June 1, 2007.
– Miami’s 18 runs were the most scored by the Hurricanes since UM put up 23 against Wake Forest on March 23, 2008.
– Sophomore Iden Nazario made his first career, setting career-highs for innings pitched (6.0) and strikeouts (8).
– Jason Hagerty hit his first home run of the season and his second career grand slam in the fifth inning.
– Scott Lawson hit his first career home run in the first inning.
– Ryan Perry hit his first double of the year in the eighth inning.
Series Notes
– The Hurricanes out-scored the Scarlet Knights, 32-17, in the four-game set.
– UM now holds a 41-11 advantage in the all-time series versus Rutgers.
– Newcomer Scott Lawson led the team with seven hits on the series, going 7-for-16 with four doubles, four RBI and four runs scored.
– As a team, UM hit .330 (37-for-112) while the pitching staff allowed just 12 earned runs in 32 innings of work (3.38 ERA).
– UM’s three starting pitchers combined for 20 of the team’s 33 strikeouts (Iden Nazario – 8, Chris Hernandez – 7, David Gutierrez – 5).
– The Hurricanes drew 25 walks over the weekend to just eight by the Scarlet Knights.
– Four players hit better than .400 in the series, including Yasmani Grandal’s team-high .571 average (4-for-7).
– UM was successful on 7-of-12 stolen base attempts on the weekend.
