No. 12 Baseball Cruises to 13-3 Win Over B-CU
| LINESCORE | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| BCU | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 3 |
| UM | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | X | 13 | 13 | 1 |
| PITCHING | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | |||||||
| W – D. Garcia (5-1) | 5.0 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 8 | ||||||
| L – D. Lindsay (0-4) | 2.2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ||||||
| INDIVIDUAL LEADERS | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB | R | H | RBI | BB | HR | |||||||
| UM – Z. Collins | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | ||||||
| UM – G. Iskenderian | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||||
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — No. 12 Miami used a six-run fifth inning to take control of its matchup with Bethune-Cookman Wednesday night, as the Hurricanes opened their nine-game homestand with a 13-3 victory at Mark Light Field.
Miami jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, battled through a Bethune-Cookman rally in the middle innings, and clinched another home victory by sending 11 batters to the plate in the decisive fifth inning.
Six straight batters reached to open the fifth inning, and David Thompson, George Iskenderian, Garrett Kennedy and Christopher Barr each drove in runs.
Despite allowing two solo home runs, sophomore Danny Garcia improved to 5-1 with five innings on the mound.
“It was a good win for us,” head coach Jim Morris said. “Garcia got his fifth win, we played really good defense, and we’re still experimenting a little bit with our lineup.”
Kennedy, who entered as pinch hitter in the explosive fifth inning, chopped a two-run double that dropped in rightfield to help solidify Miami’s lead.
“We are swinging the bat pretty well this year,” Kennedy said. “Building off each other is a big thing there.”
Sophomore Zack Collins, who clinched Miami’s series against North Carolina with an extra-innings home run Saturday, came up with his first three-hit night of the season in a 3-for-4, three-RBI night at the plate.
His RBI double in the first inning gave the hosts a lead they would not relinquish.
“I felt good going into today, and I knew it was going to be a good day after that first hit,” Collins said. “I was swinging the bat hard and putting the barrel on the ball. You can’t control what else happens.”
The win improved Miami’s home record to 14-2.
Garcia struck out eight batters in 5.0 innings, scattering single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings. He allowed seven hits but managed to work his way out of jams throughout the night, earning his team-leading fifth win of the season.
An RBI double from Collins opened the scoring in the first, and Iskenderian was issued a two-out walk by Wildcats lefthander Donte Lindsay to set up a scoring opportunity for outfielder Willie Abreu.
The sophomore delivered, cranking a two-RBI single through the rightside to give Miami a 3-0 lead.
With the Hurricanes (21-9) leading 3-1 in the third inning, Iskenderian was a hit by a pitch, stole second and took third on a throwing error. Lindsay (0-4) issued a walk to Abreu, and on an errant pick-off attempt to first, Iskenderian scored to signal the end of Lindsay’s night after just 2.2 innings.
Miami’s six runs in the fifth padded Miami’s marginal lead at 4-3 to a wide open 10-3.
A single from Collins down the rightfield line put runners on the corners, and the sophomore’s run to second on a grounder from Iskenderian was enough to distract Wildcats second baseman Jameel Edney, who bobbled the ball.
Abreu followed with a walk to load the bases, Kennedy connected on a double off Wildcats reliever Clint Clymer, and Barr’s single up the middle capped the fireworks.
Miami scored single runs in the sixth (Brandon Lopez RBI single), seventh (Collins RBI double) and eight (Barr RBI groundout) as insurance.
“I feel like us as a hitting team, no matter what the score is, we have a chance to win,” Collins said. “We never give up, and I think that’s what makes us best.”
The Hurricanes continue their nine-game homestand Friday with their series opener against Duke at Mark Light Field. First pitch for the game, slated for broadcast on 560 WQAM, is set for 7 p.m.
