No. 10 Miami Wins Game, Series Over Florida Behind Gutierrez
Feb. 28, 2009
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Head coach Jim Morris won his 700th game at the University of Miami and junior starter David Gutierrez tossed a career-best seven scoreless innings as the 10th-ranked Hurricanes edged out No. 12 Florida, 2-1, to clinch the weekend series in front of 4,570 fans Saturday afternoon at McKethan Stadium.
After winning the series opener on Friday, 8-5, Miami (5-1) clinched its second straight series over Florida (5-2), but just its second series in Gainesville since Morris arrived at UM in 1994.
For his efforts, Gutierrez picked up his first win of the season, allowing six hits and three walks while striking out one in seven scoreless. Behind Gutierrez, junior Taylor Wulf tossed a scoreless eighth before junior Kyle Bellamy came on in the ninth to pick up his third save of the year.
Miami scored its runs in the third and fifth and kept UF off the board until the ninth. After Bellamy walked Riley Cooper to lead off the final half-inning, a UM error put runners on first and third with no one out. A fielder’s choice ground out – the first out of the inning – scored Cooper from third to cut the lead to 2-1. From there, a single to left by Avery Barnes put runners on the corners with one out. Bellamy proceeded to get Jerico Weitzel to pop up to third before finally closing the door by striking out Josh Adams on a 1-2 count.
Both of Miami’s runs were a result of junior Ryan Jackson’s bat scoring senior Jonathan Weislow, who had drove in five of Miami’s eight runs on Friday night.
Weislow led off the third inning with a single to left and moved to second on a Nathan Melendres bunt single. Scott Lawson followed that up with a sacrifice bunt, moving Weislow to third and Melendres to second before Jackson’s grounder to short brought home Weislow to put the `Canes up 1-0.
The two were at it again in the fifth. Weislow led off the inning with a walk and two batters later, a Lawson single put runners on first and second for Jackson, who then singled home Weislow for what would prove to be the game-winning run.
Jackson finished the day 2-for-4 with two RBI while Weislow went 1-for-2 with a single, a walk and two runs scored. Harold Martinez also had a solid day at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a pair of singles.
Florida threatened to score in each of the first two innings, putting runners on second and third in both frames. Gutierrez was able to get out of both two-out jams however, inducing a fly out to left in the first and a ground out to second in the second to keep the Gators off the board.
Alex Panteliodis, made his second career start for the Gators and allowed two runs on eight hits while walking one and striking out one in 5 2/3 innings. Reliever Billy Bullock held Miami scoreless over the final 3 1/3 innings.
Mike Mooney and Josh Adams each went 2-for-5 to lead the Gators at the plate.
Miami’s only other winning weekend in Gainesville under Morris came in 2002, when UM went 2-0 in Gainesville.
The two teams will wrap up the series Sunday afternoon at 12 p.m. when sophomore left-hander Iden Nazario will go up against UF left-hander Nick Maronde. The game will be televised live on Sun Sports.
Postgame Notes
– Saturday’s win was head coach Jim Morris 700th victory at the helm of the University of Miami baseball program.
– Miami’s wins in each of the first two games of the series marked just the second time in Morris’ tenure that Miami won multiple games in Gainesville in a single year (2-0 in 2002).
– Freshman Nathan Melendres and junior Scott Lawson each extended their team-best hitting streak to six straight games to open the season.
– Miami had at least one base-runner in each of the first seven innings.
– Junior David Gutierrez won his first game of the season, tossing a career-high seven innings.
– Junior Taylor Wulf held his opponents scoreless for the second straight appearance to open his UM career.
– Kyle Bellamy improved to 3-for-3 in save opportunities this season.
