Gutierrez Perfect in Seven as No. 13 Miami One-Hits FGCU
April 14, 2010
FT. MYERS, Fla. – Senior right-hander David Gutierrez tossed seven perfect innings and three Miami pitchers combined on a one-hitter as the 13th-ranked Hurricanes cruised to a 9-0 win over Florida Gulf Coast Wednesday night at Hammond Stadium.
Making just his second start of the season, Gutierrez (3-0) kept the first 21 FGCU batters off the bases through seven, inducing six ground-outs, seven strikeouts and eight fly-outs. Working on a pitch count, Gutierrez was then relieved to start the eighth after his pitch total had reached 84. Gutierrez’s seven strikeouts was one shy of his career-high.
Reliever Eric Whaley tossed a scoreless eighth for the ‘Canes, but allowed a hit-by-pitch, a single and a walk in the inning. Daniel Miranda came on in the ninth to retire FGCU in order and secure the one-hit bid.
The one-hitter was the first for UM since Scott Maine (7.0 IP, 1 H) and Jon McLean (2.0 IP, 0 H) accomplished the feat against Wake Forest on May 12, 2006 in Coral Gables.
The shut-out was the third of the season for the Hurricanes, who improved to 24-9 with the win. After scoring three early runs, Miami added two more in the fifth and four in the ninth to secure the win in the team’s last mid-week road trip of the 2010 campaign.
Eight of UM’s nine starters recorded at least one hit, including Yasmani Grandal, who finished 2-for-4 with three RBI, and Scott Lawson, who went 2-for-5 with two RBI. Grandal, Chris Pelaez and Nathan Melendres all extended their hitting streaks to seven straight games.
FGCU starter Patrick Nathanson (3-2) suffered the loss, allowing four earned runs on four hits in 4 2/3 innings. Reliever Jacob Barnes tossed 3 1/3 scoreless in relief of Nathanson but Rob Matthews and Pete Woodworth each allowed a pair of runs in the ninth. Luke Smierciak’s single to left in the eighth was FGCU’s lone hit. The Eagles dropped to 21-11 with the loss.
The `Canes jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first when a Lawson single to right-center scored Zeke DeVoss, who led off the game with a hit-by-pitch, from third.
UM added two more runs in the second when Harold Martinez came in from third on a wild pitch by Nathanson before an error by second baseman Mikel Alvarez allowed Pelaez to come across.
Miami made it 5-0 in the third when a Stephen Perez triple to center scored DeVoss before Lawson’s sacrifice fly to center then scored Perez.
The `Canes plated their runs in the ninth on RBI singles from Martinez, Grandal and Lawson.
The Hurricanes will return to Alex Rodriguez Park and play host to North Carolina in a three-game ACC series beginning April 16. Game times for the series against the Tar Heels are set for 8 p.m. Friday, 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. All three games will be televised live on CSS.
For tickets for the UNC series, call 1-800-GO-CANES or visit www.hurricanesports.com.
