No. 14 Baseball Earns Win With Late Comeback
| LINESCORE | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| UM | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 0 |
| Pitt | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 2 |
| PITCHING | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | |||||||
| W – M. Mediavilla (3-3) | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||||||
| L – H. Harris (3-3) | 1.2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
| INDIVIDUAL LEADERS | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB | R | H | RBI | BB | HR | |||||||
| UM – Iskenderian | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| UM – Lopez | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| PLAYER OF THE GAME |
|---|
 George Iskenderian| Jr. | 2B
Junior infielder George Iskenderian had another big performance for Miami, finishing the day with a career high-tying four hits and his 17th multi-hit performance. He leads all hitters with a .386 average. |
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – No. 14 Miami scored five runs over the game’s final two innings to erase a late deficit and earn a thrilling 9-5 win over Pittsburgh in the first leg of its doubleheader at Charles L. Cost Field.
Trailing 5-4 heading into the eighth, junior Brandon Lopez delivered a game-tying single to right off Pitt reliever Hobie Harris to plate pinch runner Jacob Heyward.
Sophomore Zack Collins got the rally started with a triple off the wall in left before being replaced by Heyward.
The Hurricanes then sent all nine batters to the plate in the decisive ninth, when junior David Thompson delivered the go-ahead hit on an RBI single off Harris (3-3) to left to give Miami a 6-5 lead.
An RBI double from Willie Abreu, a fielder’s choice RBI from Garrett Kennedy and a sacrifice fly from Lopez bolstered Miami’s late lead.
Freshman lefthander Michael Mediavilla (3-1) pitched the final two innings, allowing just two hits with one strikeout to close out the win in relief of lefthander Thomas Woodrey.
Woodrey tossed at least six innings for the 11th straight start, and exited after seven efficient frames.
The visitors nearly took the lead in the first on a single up the middle from junior George Iskenderian, but redshirt sophomore Christopher Barr was ruled out on a close play at home after a nice throw from Aaron Schnurbusch in center.
The Hurricanes (32-13, 17-8 ACC) weren’t deterred, however, going on to plate four runs in the second off Pitt righthander T.J. Zeuch to take a sizable early lead.
A hit-and-run executed by Kennedy in tandem with Abreu put runners on the corners to open the action, while a dribbler from Lopez was mishandled by Zeuch to give Miami a 1-0 advantage.
Freshman Carl Chester followed with an RBI single to rightfield to bump the lead to 2-0, and after Miami loaded the bases on an infield hit from Barr, Iskenderian came through with a two-RBI single into the hole at short to double Miami’s lead to 4-0.
Iskenderian (4-for-5) extended his hitting streak to 17 games and recorded his team-high 17th multi-hit performance. He also tied a career high with four hits.
Pittsburgh wasted little time cutting into the deficit, plating two runs off Woodrey in the bottom of the second on a sacrifice fly from Jordan Frabisilio and an RBI single from Ron Sherman.
The Panthers took their first lead of the game in the third when Alex Kowalcyzk belted a two-run home run over the fence in leftfield to take a 5-4 lead.
After signs of trouble for both in the early going, the opposing pitchers shined. Woodrey retired 13 of the next 14 batters through the seventh, while Zeuch allowed just four hits the rest of the way after surrendering four runs in the second inning.
After the second leg of their doubleheader, the Hurricanes will wrap up their series with Pittsburgh on Sunday at Cost Field. First pitch for the finale, slated for broadcast on WVUM 90.5 FM, is set for 1 p.m.
