No. 4 Miami Hands No. 7 Virginia its First Loss of 2009
March 21, 2009
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The fourth-ranked University of Miami baseball team snapped No. 7 Virginia’s 19-game winning streak with a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over the Cavaliers Saturday afternoon at Davenport Field. Down 3-0 with two outs and no one on in the top of the seventh, a single by Yasmani Grandal sparked a four-run UM rally, capped off by a Ryan Jackson two-run single that proved to be the game-winner.
Miami improved to 17-4 overall and 6-2 in Atlantic Coast Conference play with the win while Virginia, who had the nation’s top record coming in, dropped to 19-1 and 5-1 in league play.
After Grandal’s single in the seventh, Dave DiNatale doubled and Nathan Melendres walked to load the bases for pinch-hitter Ted Blackman. With a 1-2 count, Blackman smacked a single through the right side, scoring UM’s first two runs of the contest. Scott Lawson then followed up Blackman’s hit with a walk, and that set up Jackson’s single to center that put the `Canes ahead for good.
Kyle Bellamy earned his fifth save of the season and his first two-inning save of his career, holding the Cavs scoreless over the final two innings. The Cavaliers made it interesting in the ninth however, loading the bases with two outs in the final frame for Dan Grovatt. Ahead in the count 1-2, Bellamy threw a fastball by Grovatt for the strikeout, but the ball got away from Hagerty to put the runners in motion. With Jarrett Parker attempting to score from third, Hagerty got the ball back to Bellamy just in time for the force out at home to clinch the win for Miami and snap the Cavs’ streak.
Miami’s come-from-behind victory was its 11th of the season.
Taylor Wulf (1-0) earned his first career win as a Hurricane, tossing a scoreless inning in relief of starter David Gutierrez. Gutierrez turned in his fifth straight quality start to open the year, allowing just one earned run on three hits while walking three and striking out a career-high seven in 5 2/3 innings. Bellamy allowed one hit and two walks while striking out two to secure his fifth save of the season.
Virginia starter Andrew Carraway held UM scoreless through six before allowing three runs to come across in the seventh. Carraway finished the day allowing four hits and two walks while striking out nine in 6 2/3 innings. UVa reliever Matt Packer (1-1) suffered the loss, allowing one run on two hits in 2 1/3 innings.
Six Hurricanes had a hit on the afternoon, including Blackman and Jackson who accounted for all four of UM’s RBI.
UVa took a 1-0 lead in the third, when a two-out Danny Hultzen single up the middle scored Phil Gosselin from second.
The Cavaliers went up 2-0 in the fourth when a sacrifice foul-out down the line in left scored Steven Proscia from third. UVa’s third run came on a John Hicks’ double in the sixth.
Prior to Miami’s four-run seventh, the `Canes only had just three base-runners in the first six innings, with a pair of hits in the first and a walk in the sixth.
Miami and Virginia will decide the series Sunday at 12 p.m. UM will send left-hander Iden Nazario (2-0, 6.27 ERA) to the mound while UVa will go with right-hander Will Roberts (2-0, 2.81 ERA).
Game Notes
– UM’s win snapped Virginia’s 19-game winning streak to open the season.
– The come-from-behind win was Miami’s 11th of the season.
– The two-inning save was Kyle Bellamy’s first of his career. It also marked the third time in 10 appearances this season the junior closer tossed more than an inning.
– Ryan Jackson’s game-winning hit in the seventh was his team-leading fourth of the season. Jackson has UM’s last three game-winners (2/17 – St. Thomas, 2/18 – UMBC, 2/21 – Virginia).
– David Gutierrez struck out a career-high seven. Gutierrez also allowed just one earned run in 5 2/3 innings, marking his fifth straight start to open the season of allowing less than two earned runs.
– Virginia’s run in the third inning marked the sixth-straight ACC game UM’s opponent scored first.
– Junior Taylor Wulf earned his first career win, tossing one shut-out inning.
