No. 17 Miami Secures Series over Georgia Tech
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Saturday stung.
After swatting down the Yellow Jackets in the series opener Friday, Miami’s opportunity to clinch the series over Georgia Tech one night later was postponed due to inclement weather.
But it was worth the wait.
In the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader, the 17th-ranked Hurricanes stormed out to an early lead and never looked back, downing Georgia Tech, 9-7, at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.
“The guys got out in front and kept the lead the whole time,” Miami head coach Gino DiMare said. “The pitching was good, and of course, [Andrew Walters] at the end did a great job there. We were able to get the ball to Walt late in the game with the lead and made some really nice defensive plays.”
Miami (25-15, 12-9 ACC) swarmed the Yellow Jackets (22-18, 8-13 ACC) early, racing out to a 9-2 advantage.
Freshman second baseman Blake Cyr and junior third baseman Yohandy Morales combined to go 5-for-6, plating seven of the Hurricanes’ nine runs.
“It’s nice when everything is clicking together,” Cyr said. “Everybody’s confidence in the lineup just goes through the roof and we all feed off of each other.”
Cyr started the scoring with an RBI single in the first before launching an opposite-field three-run shot in the sixth.
Morales delivered a run-scoring base hit of his own in the second and a two-run double in the sixth, which eventually proved to be the difference in the front leg of the twin bill.
“I gotta give credit to the guys in front of me and behind me in the lineup,” Morales said. “Zach’s been getting it done, protecting me this whole season. It’s been great having guys in front of me get on base and letting me do my job and drive them in.
The Yellow Jackets buzzed back with three tallies in the seventh and two more in the eighth, but Miami closer Andrew Walters (5) sealed the series with a four-out save.
The Hurricanes couldn’t complete the sweep in the finale 45 minutes later, as Miami battled not just Georgia Tech, but also the clock.
With a travel curfew in place, the Yellow Jackets took the six-inning affair, 9-5.
“It’s a tough game to manage because you’re looking at the clock,” DiMare said. “In baseball, you shouldn’t be looking at the clock. It’s not a normal thing, but we have to deal with it. We’ve gotta get out to a good start in these games. You can’t fall behind because that makes it even more difficult in those situations.”
Miami returns to action Tuesday against the FAU Owls. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. at Mark Light Field.
To keep up with the University of Miami baseball team on social media, follow @CanesBaseball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
