No. 13 Baseball Drops Heartbreaker in Atlanta

ATLANTA, Ga — No. 13 Miami dropped game three of its series with Georgia Tech in heartbreaking fashion Saturday, as the Yellow Jackets walked off with a series victory by way of a 3-2 extra-innings win at Russ Chandler Stadium.

Redshirt sophomore lefthander Andrew Suarez delivered a dominant outing for the Hurricanes (11-9, 4-2 ACC), scattering four hits and allowing just two runs across nine full innings of work. After tough starts from fellow lefthanders Chris Diaz and Bryan Radziewski in the first two games of the series, Suarez – who struck out seven batters on the night – kept Miami in the contest and forced the game into extra innings with a terrific outing.

With the game tied 2-2 heading to the bottom of the ninth, Suarez returned to the hill and set the Tech order down 1-2-3. But freshman closer Bryan Garcia (1-1)surrendered an unearned run in the bottom of the tenth, as Miami dropped both games of its Saturday doubleheader.

For the third consecutive game this weekend, Miami jumped out to an early lead over the host Yellow Jackets.

The Hurricanes went up 1-0 in the first inning on an RBI groundout from senior Brad Fieger. Dale Carey managed to reach base despite striking out, taking first on a wild pitch from Georgia Tech pitcher Devin Stanton. After senior Tyler Palmer walked to put two runners on, the Hurricanes executed a double steal to perfection that put two runners in scoring position.

Fieger’s groundout to Tech shortstop Connor Justus plated Carey from third, as Miami took a 1-0 advantage.

Georgia Tech responded with a run of its own in the bottom of the first, doing so without recording a hit. Jackets slugger Mott Hyde reached via walk and stole second, and after advancing to third via groundout, scored on a sacrifice fly from Matt Gonzalez.

A sacrifice fly from freshman Willie Abreu saw Miami regain a one-run advantage in the third. Carey extended his hitting streak to a career high-tying nine straight games with a double to open the frame, and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Palmer. Abreu lifted a Stanton offering sharply to left, and Carey slide in safe as the ball got away from Tech catcher Mitch Earnest.

Suarez worked through the Georgia Tech lineup with ease through the middle innings, and needed just 85 pitches through the game’s first seven innings. After allowing a leadoff double to Hyde in the bottom of the eighth, Suarez surrendered a second sacrifice fly to Gonzalez as the Yellow Jackets tied the game 2-2.

But the lefthander came back out for the ninth inning and promptly shut down Tech with a flawless inning. Suarez, who threw 109 pitches across a career high-tying 9.0 innings, ended his outing with back-to-back strikeouts of Grant Wruble and Daniel Spingola.

But Tech came through in the tenth, as an RBI single from Connor Justus proved the difference in a 3-2 Georgia Tech win.

Season tickets to Miami’s 2014 season at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field start for as low as $99, with a Family Plan option (two adult tickets, three youth tickets) covering all home games available for just $199. For more information, visit CanesTix.com or call (305) 284-2263.