Canes Drop Series Opener to Georgia Tech
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Miami Hurricanes dropped the opening game of their weekend series against Georgia Tech, 14-3.
The Canes (27-16, 15-15 ACC) scored first but could not respond after an eight-run inning by the Yellow Jackets that pushed Georgia Tech (25-18, 19-12 ACC) past Miami before a sold-out crowd of 627 fans inside Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.
“We’ve had a few of these games. It’s very disappointing,” head coach Gino DiMare said. “We’ve just had some lopsided games and we’ve been on the wrong side of them. It all starts again on the mound and just given up big, big, big inning there in the third inning and just can’t seem to get that consistency with the starters and that makes it very difficult and we haven’t been very good we’ve fallen behind a bunch of runs.”
Miami put together a two-out rally in the bottom of the first with the Del Castillo brothers putting up back-to-back singles before Adrian scored from third on an RBI single by Raymond Gil.
But the Yellow Jackets responded in the top of the third, putting up five runs before Miami starter Alex McFarlane recorded an out. McFarlane gave up six hits in the inning before he was replaced on the mound by true freshman Alejandro Rosario. The right-hander entered with two on and one out, but Georgia Tech added three more runs before Miami could end the rally.
An inning later, Tech added a run on a solo homer by third baseman Justyn-Henry Malloy that gave the Yellow Jackets a 9-1 advantage.
John Anderson drove in Georgia Tech’s 10th run of the night with a sacrifice fly to center in the top of the sixth.
In the top of the seventh, Malloy connected for his second homer of the night. The three-run shot off reliever Ben Wanger gave the Yellow Jackets a 13-1 lead.
Miami loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth against reliever Cort Roedig. Alex Toral singled home Yohandy Morales with one out in the inning and Georgia Tech head coach Danny Hall lifted Roedig in favor of lefty Josiah Siegel. Pinch hitter CJ Kayfus waked, pushing home Adrian Del Castillo to bring Miami within 10.
The Yellow Jackets scored their final run in the top of the ninth, as outfielder Brad Grenkoski pushed in infielder Jadyn Jackson with a sacrifice fly to right.
Miami and Georgia Tech return to action Saturday night beginning at 7 p.m. The Hurricanes will honor Spencer Bodanza, Christian Del Castillo, Daniel Federman, Raymond Gil, Tony Jenkins, Gabe Rivera, Alex Toral and Ben Wanger as part of Senior Day festivities prior to the game.
