Martinez, DiNatale Power No. 11 Miami Past FGCU, 13-7
April 22, 2009
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The 11th-ranked University of Miami baseball team picked up its fifth straight mid-week win with a 13-7 victory over Florida Gulf Coast Wednesday night at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.
With the game knotted 7-7 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Miami (27-13) scored four runs in the frame to take the lead for good over FGCU (22-16). The go-ahead run came when Iden Nazario – who doubled to right-center to start the rally – scored from second on a Chris Herrmann single up the middle. Moments later, Harold Martinez followed with a walk before Dave DiNatale smacked a deep three-run homer to left to put the `Canes up four.
Scott Lawson led UM with three hits, going 3-for-5 with three runs scored while five other Hurricanes recorded two hits on the night. Martinez finished 2-for-4 with a homer, four RBI and two runs scored, DiNatale went 2-for-4 with three RBI, Herrmann finished 2-for-3 with two walks, two RBI and three runs scored while Jason Hagerty went 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run. Nazario also had two hits and two RBI off the bench.
Reliever Daniel Miranda (3-2) earned the win, holding the Eagles hitless while striking out two in 1 2/3 innings. Starter Jason Santana allowed five earned runs on nine hits while walking two and striking out one in 4 2/3 innings. Rene Guerra relieved Santana to record the final out of the fifth before Sam Robinson (1 IP, 1 ER), Miranda and Kyle Bellamy (1 1/3 IP, 0 ER) finished out the game for UM.
Jacob Barnes (0-1) suffered the loss for the Eagles, allowing four runs on four hits while walking two and striking out two in two innings of work. Starter CJ Evans allowed four runs on five hits in four innings of work before Trent Landa and Tim Kiley combined to toss the final 3 1/3 innings.
FGCU scored three early runs in the top of the first on a walk, a pair of doubles, a pair of singles and a UM fielding error.
The Hurricanes got a run back in the bottom of the first to cut the Eagles’ lead to 3-1 before the Eagles re-took a three-run lead in the third when a UM throwing error allowed FGCU to go up 4-1.
The `Canes tied it up at four in the fourth when Martinez hit a three-run homer to left center in the bottom of the fourth.
In the fifth, FCGU scored two runs to go up 6-4 but the lead would be short-lived as Miami scored three of its own in the bottom half of the inning to take its first lead of the game, 7-6.
The Eagles quickly tied it back up however, with a run in the top of the seventh before Miami broke the game open.
After the four-run seventh, the `Canes added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth on a two-run single off the bat of Nazario, closing the scoring at 13-7.
Miami will continue its homestand this weekend when it plays host to Virginia Tech, April 24-26, in the team’s final ACC home series. First pitch of the series is slated for Friday night at 7 p.m.
Game Notes
– Jason Hagerty (two RBI) recorded at least one RBI for the 14th time in the last 17 games.
– The win was Miami’s 20th come-from-behind victory this season.
– The 11 runs scored for Miami was the most since the `Canes scored 14 runs versus Florida State (4/5).
– Miami has now scored double-digit runs in 12 games this season.
– The win was Miami’s fifth mid-week win in a row. The `Canes are now 10-2 in mid-week games this season.
