Hurricanes Pull Away Late to Defeat Troy in NCAA Regional Opener
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Behind a pair of home runs from Derek Williams and Vance Sheahan and a five-run eighth inning, the Miami Hurricanes baseball team (39-19, 16-14 ACC) pulled away late for a 10-5 victory over Troy with a final end time of 1:48 a.m. at Condron Family Ballpark in the opening round of the NCAA Gainesville Regional.
Lyndon Glidewell (4-0) earned the win out of the bullpen after recording the final six outs for Miami.
Miami starter Rob Evans gave the Hurricanes five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out four. Jack Durso followed with two scoreless innings of relief and punched out a pair before turning the ball over to Glidewell.
Tommy Egan (5-5) took the loss for Troy after Miami exploded for five runs in the eighth inning. The right-hander allowed five earned runs on three hits and two walks while recording just one out. Trojan starter Benjamin Stubbs allowed four runs, three earned, across 5.1 innings with six strikeouts.
Miami started its 51st NCAA Tournament with some offensive fireworks, adding four runs in the bottom of the third behind a pair of home runs from Vance Sheahan and Derek Williams.
Sheahan got the inning started with a solo shot to left field, putting the Hurricanes’ on the board 1-0. After Fabio Peralta grounded out, Jake Ogden was hit by a pitch and Max Galvin reached on a throwing error to put runners at first and second.
A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position before Williams delivered the big blow of the inning, launching his 17th home run of the season, a 389-foot three-run shot to left center, to extend Miami’s lead to 4-0.
Troy chipped away over the next two innings, beginning in the fourth when Sean Darnell lined an RBI single down the first base line to score Blake Cavill and cut Miami’s lead to 4-1.
The Trojans added two more runs in the fifth after Josh Pyne and Aaron Piasecki reached safely to open the inning. Cavill then delivered a two-run double down the right field line, bringing home both runners and trimming the Hurricanes’ lead to 4-3.
Miami added an important insurance run in the bottom of the seventh. Williams drew a leadoff walk and moved up on a wild pitch before scoring all the way from second on a throwing error by the Troy catcher to make it 5-3, Miami.
Troy threatened again in the top of the eighth after Jimmy Janicki and Steven Meier drew back-to-back walks to open the inning against Miami reliever Lyndon Glidewell.
But Miami catcher Alonzo Alvarez came up with one of the biggest plays of the night moments later, throwing down to second after a pitch to catch Janick. The pickoff was crucial as Drew Nelson followed with a two-run homer to right field that tied the game at five as the clock hit 1:18 a.m. at Condron Family Ballpark.
Miami answered right back in the bottom of the eighth with its biggest inning since the third, hanging five runs on the board to create some serious breathing room late in the game.
Ogden got things started with a one-out double to right center before Galvin ripped an RBI double down the right field line to put the Hurricanes back in the lead, 6-5. Troy then intentionally walked Williams, and Alex Sosa followed with a walk to load the bases. Alvarez came through with an RBI single to center to push the lead to 7-5, before Dylan Dubovik continued the surge with a sacrifice fly to right center that brought home Williams to make it 8-5, Miami.
Two batters later, Brandon DeGoti delivered the knockout blow with a two-run double to left center, scoring Alvarez and Sosa to cap the five-run inning and extend Miami’s lead to 10-5.
The Hurricanes will now face regional host the Florida Gators on Saturday with an updated start time of 8 p.m. eastern time.
To stay up to date with the University of Miami baseball team, be sure to follow @canesbaseball on Instagram, X and Facebook.
JD ARTEAGA, ALONZO ALVAREZ & DEREK WILLIAMS | POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE | 5.30.26
