Hurricanes Sink Sharks, 22-5
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The Hurricanes had one goal in mind: bounce back.
Job accomplished.
Miami mashed eight home runs, spanking the LIU Sharks, 22-5, Sunday afternoon at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.
“Baseball is a crazy game,” head coach J.D. Arteaga said. “It’s not a video game. It looks like that in the box score. Hitting a baseball is still very difficult to do, but I thought our approach was a lot better…We simplified things and hit the ball all over the ballpark like we know we can. It’s just about getting more consistent at it now.”
The Hurricanes’ eight blasts matched the second-most in program history, one shy of the school’s record.
Seniors Lucas Costello and Jack Scanlon, juniors Dorian Gonzalez, Jr. and Gaby Gutierrez, redshirt sophomore Lorenzo Carrier, sophomore Jason Torres and freshman Daniel Cuvet all left the yard, as Miami (5-2) mounted a season-best 22 runs and 23 hits.
“It’s exciting when you see everyone having success,” Scanlon said. “It’s all you can really ask for. Each guy, we put the home run cart out and we’re giving them high fives. So, seeing a bunch of guys do it is really cool.”
Miami scored at least five runs in four different innings, highlighted by a four-homer third inning, tying the most by the Hurricanes in a single frame.
Overall, UM hit .500 Sunday, with 11 Canes recording hits in the win.
Cuvet continued his video-game-like start to his career, finishing a triple shy of the cycle. The 6-foot-3, 237-pound slugger smacked his fifth home run in his first seven games.
“I have as high expectations of myself than anyone could have,” said Cuvet, who leads the team with a .630 average and five homers. “This is just a byproduct of every expectation I have and the work I put in.”
Meanwhile, Scanlon, who was inserted into the lineup, notched his first career multi-homer performance.
Junior Herick Hernandez (2-0) stifled the Sharks, limiting the visitors to just one unearned run across six innings.
The southpaw struck out seven batters in his second straight win.
In the midst of all the fireworks, redshirt freshman Ashton Crowther made his presence felt.
Crowther, who missed last season recovering from Tommy John Surgery, pitched for the first time in 656 days, dating back to his senior year of high school at J.W. Mitchell.
The 6-foot-3, 220-pound left-hander recorded the game’s final out with a punch out.
Following their second straight series win, the Hurricanes will welcome FGCU to Mark Light Field Wednesday evening. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
To keep up with the University of Miami baseball team on social media, follow @CanesBaseball on X, Instagram and Facebook.
