Santana Improves to 5-0 as No. 5 Miami Beats FAU, 8-7
April 7, 2009
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Starter Jason Santana struck out a season-high six in six innings to improve his record to 5-0 as the fifth-ranked University of Miami baseball team defeated FAU, 8-7, Tuesday night at Alex Rodriguez Park.
The Hurricanes (24-8), trailing 2-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth, used a four-run inning to take the lead for good against the Owls (17-12). Santana, making his fourth start of the season and his second against FAU, allowed three earned runs while not walking a single batter.
Jason Hagerty led the Hurricanes offensively, reaching base three times and going 2-for 3 with an RBI and a run scored. Vickash Ramjit also contributed offensively by going to 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Down 2-1 after heading into the bottom of the fifth, the Hurricanes used a four-run frame to take a 5-2 advantage. The first run came across on a Hagerty sacrifice fly before a two-run double off the bat of Martinez scored Nathan Melendres and Scott Lawson to give UM its first lead, 4-2. A fifth run was added moments later when Ted Blackman singled to left to score Martinez from second.
With UM up 6-5 with two outs and a man on second in the eighth, Kyle Bellamy came on and induced a grounder to keep the UM lead intact. After a lead-off walk to begin the ninth, FAU’s Nick Criaris hit a two-run homer to right-center field to cut the lead to 8-7. Bellamy proceeded to hit a batter and walked another, but struck out Travis Ozga and Tom Hatcher to end the game.Bellamy earned his sixth inning-plus save of the season and his ninth overall, tossing 1 1/3 innings and striking out the side in the ninth inning.
FAU starter Brent Adheen allowed three of which were earned runs in four innings of work, falling to 0-3 on the year. Five Owl relievers combined to allow three earned runs the final five innings.
After FAU scored a run in the first, Miami responded quickly with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Hagerty blasted a double down the left-field line and later scored on a fielding error that could have ended the inning to tie it up at 1-1.
Anthony Mesa put FAU back up one when in the fifth when he singled, reached third on a failed pick-off attempt and eventually scored on a balk.
After UM’s five-run fifth, FAU responded with two more runs in the sixth when a two-out single followed by a Colby Gratton homer to right cut UM’s lead to 5-4. From there, FAU added a run in the eighth and UM came back with two more of its own before Bellamy hung on in the ninth to secure the win for Miami.
Gratton finished 2-for-3 and was one of three Owls along with William Block and Nick DelGuidice to record two hits.
The Hurricanes will hit the road the weekend when the team plays a three-game series at No. 20 Clemson, April 10-12.
Game Notes
– The comeback win for Miami was its 17th in 24 wins this season.
– Miami improved to 2-0 against FAU this season and 43-8 all-time against the Owls.
– Jason Hagerty and Harold Martinez each extended their team-high hitting streaks to nine straight.
– After going 3-for-4 with three RBI and a runs scored at FAU (3/25) in the first game this year against the Owls, Ramjit finished 2-for-3 Tuesday night. Five of his 11 hits this season have come against FAU.
-The Hurricanes and Owls will play the final game of their three-game series a week from today on Tuesday, April 14 at 6 p.m. at Alex Rodriguez Park.
– Scott Lawson hit his team-leading 13th double in the sixth inning.
– Bellamy earned his sixth inning-plus save of the season and his ninth overall.
– Attendance at Tuesday’s game was 1,862, the largest mid-week crowd of the season at Alex Rodriguez Park this season.
– Starter Jason Santana struck out a season-high six.
