No. 13 Miami Takes Series with 11-4 Win Over BC Sunday
March 14, 2010
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Yasmani Grandal capped off an impressive weekend at the plate going 4-for-4 with a three-run homer, a double and two singles as the 13th-ranked University of Miami baseball team used a 11-4 win Sunday to secure a series victory over Boston College at Alex Rodriguez Park.
Miami (10-4, 2-1 ACC) has now won three-straight ACC series openers after claiming series wins over NC State last season and BC in 2008.
Grandal, who hit safely in all three games against Boston College (6-8, 1-2 ACC), went 7-for-11 and tallied 13 total bases on the weekend. On Sunday, he drove in three, scored three times and recorded his second four-hit game of his career.
Reliever Daniel Miranda (1-0) earned the win for Miami, allowing on unearned run on three hits while striking out four in three innings of action. Working on a pitch count, lefty starter Eric Erickson allowed three runs on three hits while striking out four in four innings before giving way to Miranda. Eric Whaley and Lovecchio each tossed a scoreless inning to finish off the series win for UM.
Frankie Ratcliff, Nathan Melendres, Chris Pelaez and Scott Lawson also had big days offensively. Ratcliff went 1-for-3 with three RBI, including a two-run triple in the first that proved to be the game winner. Scott Lawson went 1-for-4 and scored three times, while Melendres and Pelaez each had a pair of hits.
Boston College starter Mike Dennhardt (1-3) suffered the loss, allowing four earned runs on 11 hits while walking two and striking out four in five innings of work. Anthony Melchionda and John Spatola each had two hits for the Eagles. Melchionda had two of the team’s four RBI.
A pair of sacrifice flies to right by Melchionda and Brad Zapenas – both with the bases loaded – and a RBI single by Matt Watson in the first quickly put the Eagles up 3-0.
The `Canes didn’t waste any time getting those runs back however, scoring four in the bottom of the first to take a 4-3 lead. After UM’s first run came across on a error by first baseman Melchionda, Harold Martinez’s RBI single to left brought the `Canes to within one before the two-run triple to right-center by Ratcliff put the `Canes ahead.
UM added two more runs in the third to take a 6-3 lead. The first run came across a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded on a ball hit to left by Ratcliff before a Michael Broad RBI single to right scored Martinez from second.
A Pelaez double to left in the bottom of the fourth put the `Canes up 7-3 as Lawson scored from third.
BC got that run back in the top half of the fifth after a throwing error by Martinez allowed Hamlet to reach second before an RBI single to center by Melchionda brought the Eagles to within three.
Grandal’s three-run blast in the sixth – a towering shot to center – broke the game open, putting the `Canes up six before UM added another run in the seventh.
Miami will return to Alex Rodriguez Park when it plays host to Fordham in back-to-back mid-week contests on Tuesday, March 16 and Wednesday, March 17. Both games are slated to start at 6 p.m.
SERIES NOTES
– Miami’s bullpen did not allow an earned run in the series (11 IP).
– Yasmani Grandal led UM offensively against the Eagles, going 7-for-11 with a homer, three doubles, three RBI and four runs scored in the series.
– Frankie Ratcliff also swung the bat well, going 4-for-8 with five RBI in three starts at second.
– Miami’s starting pitchers continued their streak of eight straight starts of allowing three earned runs or less.
– Nine different Hurricanes drove in at least one run on the weekend.
– The series win marked Miami’s third straight in an ACC series opener after claiming series wins over NC State last season and BC in 2008.
– Miami’s pitching staff allowed just five earned runs in 27 innings against the Eagles.
