No. 10 Miami Falls in Opener to No. 5 Florida, 7-1
March 5, 2010
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The 10th-ranked University of Miami baseball team lost its series opener to No. 5 Florida Friday night, 7-1, in front of 4,274 fans at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.
Miami (6-2) struggled at the plate all night, striking out 15 times while recording just two hits – the lowest total for the `Canes since a one-hit loss at North Carolina April 17 of last season. Florida (6-1) scored four runs in the third and three in the eighth to cruise to the six-run win.
Chris Hernandez (1-1) pitched well early on, but eventually allowed three earned runs on eight hits while striking out eight in six innings of work. E.J. Encinosa came on to start the seventh and allowed three runs over the next 1 1/3 innings before Sam Robinson and Joe Lovecchio finished the game out for the `Canes.
UM’s pitchers fanned nearly as many as the Gators’ staff recorded on the night, finishing with 14 strikeouts – the staff’s second highest total of the year
Zeke DeVoss and Yasmani Grandal had UM’s only lone hits. Grandal had the most successful day at the plate for UM, finishing 1-for-2 with a pair of walks.
UF starter Alex Panteliodis (3-0) held the `Canes without a hit until the top of the fifth, and left the game allowing just one run on two hits while striking out eight and walking two in 5 2/3 innings. Nick Maronde tossed the last 3 1/3 hitless innings and struck out seven for his first save of the season.
Josh Adams, Austin Maddox and Mike Zunino all finished with two RBI on the night while Matt den Dekker went 2-for-5 with a run scored from the lead-off spot.
The Gators jumped out to a 4-0 in the top of the third. After a single and an error put runners on first and second with one out, four of the next five Gators recorded a hit to give UF a comfortable lead early on.
Miami scored its only run in the bottom of the sixth. After a DeVoss triple to right-center, Stephen Perez scored him on a sacrifice fly down the line in right pulling the `Canes within, 4-1.
Florida tacked on three runs in the top of the eighth – highlighted by Mike Zunino’s two-run single putting the Gators for good, 7-1.
Game two of the three-game series is slated for Saturday night at 7 p.m. Right-hander Jason Santana will take the hill for UM while UF will counter with left-hander Brian Johnson.
