Grandal's Six RBI Leads No. 15 Miami Past B-CU, 14-4
May 9, 2009
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Yasmani Grandal finished with six RBI – including a three-run homer in the fifth inning – as the 15th-ranked University of Miami baseball team evened the weekend series with Bethune-Cookman with a 14-4 win Saturday night at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.
The win pushed Miami’s record this year to 32-17 while Bethune-Cookman drops to 28-26. Grandal, who has now homered in five of UM’s last nine games, also hit a two-run single in the fourth that would prove to be the game-winner before recording another RBI single in the seventh, finishing the night 3-for-5.
Scott Lawson also had an impressive night at the plate, scoring four times after reaching base in all six of his plate appearances. Lawson led off the game with a double before walking in the second and fourth, singling in the fifth, and walking twice more in the seventh and eighth. Behind Lawson in the lineup, Ryan Jackson went 1-for-3 with three walks and three runs while Chris Herrmann and Dave DiNatale each finished with two hits.
With the game scored 4-4 in the bottom of the fourth, Grandal hit a bases loaded two-run single to put the Hurricanes ahead for good.
Rene Guerra (1-1) – one of four seniors honored prior to the start of the game – earned the win with two scoreless innings of work in relief of starter Iden Nazario. Guerra allowed just one hit while striking out two before Michael Rudman and Travis Miller went the rest of the way for UM. Nazario, making his first Saturday start of the season, lasted just 3 1/3 innings and allowed four earned runs on five hits in the no decision.
B-CU starter Eric Thomas (6-5) suffered the loss, allowing four earned runs on five hits in four innings. Reliever Rayan Gonzalez struggled in relief of Thomas, allowing eight runs in two innings before Arles Rivera and Matt Crane each tossed a scoreless inning.
Jeremy Davis (2-for-4) and Peter O’Brien (2-for-2) had four of B-CU’s six hits on the night.
Miami took an early 2-0 lead as Lawson and Jason Hagerty both scored in the first inning. Lawson led off with a double and later scored on a single by Hagerty before Herrmann was able to later score Hagerty on a single.
Bethune-Cookman tied the game in the top of the second inning as O’Brien and Chris Brown hit back-to-back homeruns to centerfield.
The Hurricanes followed that up with a run in the second and another in the third to take a 4-2 lead. The Wildcats immediately tied it back up however with a two-run fourth before Grandal’s go-ahead single.
Up 6-4 after four, Miami doubled its run total in the fifth – plating six runs capped off by a three-run blast to centerfield by Grandal. Two innings later, the `Canes added two more runs to close the scoring at 14-4.
The Hurricanes will play their final home game of the regular season against the Wildcats at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Game Notes
-Miami seniors Jonathan Weislow, Dave DiNatale, Rene Guerra, and Jason Santana – along with student manager Ross Kumasaki – were recognized in a pre-game ceremony for Senior Night.
-The Hurricanes scored in each of the first five innings after a 17-inning scoreless drought at home.
– Yasmani Grandal hit his team-leading 15th homer of the season and his fifth in UM’s last nine games.
-Scott Lawson reached base in all six of his plate appearances (2-for-2 with four walks).
– Miami’s 14 runs Saturday night were its most since beating Florida State, 14-8, on April 5. It also marked the 12th time this season Miami scored in double-figures.
– The Hurricanes drew a season-high 11 walks, including seven from the first two hitters in the UM lineup – Scott Lawson (4) and Ryan Jackson (3).
– Senior right-hander Rene Guerra earned his first win of the season.
– Junior right-hander David Gutierrez is slated to start Sunday’s series finale for the Hurricanes.
