No. 4 Miami Drops Series Opener at No. 7 Virginia
March 20, 2009
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The fourth-ranked University of Miami baseball team lost the first game of a three-game series at No. 7 Virginia, 9-4, Friday night at Davenport Field. Virginia plated runs in six of eight innings, handing UM starter Chris Hernandez just his first career loss in 22 starts as a Hurricane.
Miami (16-4, 5-2 ACC) had an early 3-1 lead in the contest, but Virginia (19-0, 5-0 ACC) scored two in third, fifth and sixth to go up 7-3 after six.
Hernandez (2-1) allowed a career-high tying five earned runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings, striking out five and walking two in the process.
UVa starter Danny Hultzen (5-0) earned the win, allowing three earned runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out six in six innings of work. Relievers Kevin Arico and Matt Packer combined to toss the final three innings for the Cavaliers.
Three `Canes – Harold Martinez, Yasmani Grandal and Ted Blackman – all finished the night 2-for-4 while Nathan Melendres reached base three times, going 1-for-2 with a pair of walks.
Jarrett Parker had the best night offensively for UVa, going 2-for-2 with a homer, four RBI and three runs scored. Franco Valdes had the game’s only three-hit performance, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored.
For the fifth-straight ACC game, UM’s opponent got on the board first as the Cavs scored a single run in the top half of the first.
UM responded quickly however, scoring two in the top of the second to go up one. After Chris Herrmann walked to lead off the inning, Harold Martinez immediately brought him home with a double to left-center. Two batters later, Yasmani Grandal hit a bloop single to right, bringing Martinez home to put the `Canes up 2-1.
Ted Blackman led off the third with a double down the line in left and after a Scott Lawson sacrifice moved him to third, Ryan Jackson’s grounder to first scored Blackman to give UM a two-run advantage.
That was the last lead UM enjoyed however, as UVa scored six over the next four innings.
The Cavs tied it up in the bottom of the third when Parker hit a two-run homer to left-center.
UVa loaded the bases in the fifth for Phil Gosselin, who brought home the first run of the frame with a sacrifice fly to center. The fifth and deciding run then came across on a Dan Grovatt single to right.
The Cavaliers pushed the lead to 7-3 in the sixth win two more runs before both teams plated a run in the seventh to make it 8-4 after seven. UVa closed the scoring with another run in the eighth to make it 9-4.
Travis Miller and Rene Guerra combined to toss the final 2 2/3 innings for the Hurricanes.
Game two of the three-game set against the Cavaliers is slated for 1 p.m. on Saturday. Right-hander David Gutierrez (2-0, 3.91 ERA) is slated to go for UM while UVa will counter with right-hander Andrew Carraway (3-0, 1.27 ERA).
Game Notes
– Virginia’s run in the first inning marked the fifth-straight ACC game UM’s opponent scored first.
– Ted Blackman made his second career start and his first as the team’s designated hitter.
– Chris Hernandez suffered his first career loss as a Hurricane (23 appearances). Hernandez’s five earned runs also tied his career-high.
– The win for UVa was its first over UM since March 24, 2007 when UVa won 3-0 in Charlottesville.
– Scott Lawson’s 10-game hitting streak was snapped with an 0-for-2 night.
