Canes Blow Past FAU, 12-4, in Fall Scrimmage
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Baseball was back at The Light as the Miami Hurricanes defeated FAU, 12-4, in a fall scrimmage on Saturday afternoon.
The Canes and Owls squared off in a fall game that featured some unique rules. The scrimmage went 12 full innings and each half inning consisted of five batters coming to the plate. The two teams would switch sides following the conclusion of the fifth hitter’s plate appearance.
Miami starting piitcher Chris McMahon was impressive over the first three innings, striking out five Owls. The sophomore right-hander opened each inning with a strikeout and allowed just three base runners over the first 13 batters faced before Tony Jenkins lost a ball in the sun in centerfield that fell for a double and FAU’s Andru Summerall homered to right to end McMahon’s outing.
Miami plated a run in the fifth, as Michael Amditis reached first on a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded that pushed Willy Escala home to make it 2-1. An inning later, JP Gates hit a three-run double down the right field line to put Miami ahead, 4-2.
Greg Veliz followed McMahon with three scoreless innings for the Hurricanes. The right-hander allowed just two hits and two walks, while striking out a pair and hitting one batter.
The Canes scored for the third consecutive inning when Anthony Vilar tripled to the right field corner to drive in Chet Moore, who opened the inning with a base hit to center. Adrian Del Castillo followed with an RBI single to left that pushed home Vilar and extended the Canes lead to four, 6-2.
Miami added two more runs, as Cal Conley scored from third on a failed pick off attempt at first that Allowed Michael Montes to advance two bases. Kam Lane pushed Montes home with a double off the left field wall to give Miami an 8-2 lead through eight innings.
With runners on first and third and two out in the top of the ninth, FAU scored on an RBI single to right that cut Miami’s lead to five, 8-3. But Gabe Rivera crushed a solo homer deep to left field in the bottom of the ninth to get the run back and make it 9-3 in favor of the Canes.
Freshman right-hander Slade Cecconi dazzled in his three innings of work, allowing just one runs on three hits while striking out six and walking one batter.
FAU added its fourth run on an error in the top of the 11th, but the Canes answered with three runs in the bottom of the 12thcapped by a two-run homer by freshman Michael Montes.
Gates, who was a key contributor at the plate, also was excellent on the mound. The freshman lefty allowed just one unearned run and struck out six over the final three innings of play.
