April 7, 2009

Final Stats |  Action Photos 

CORAL GABLES, FL - The fifth-ranked University of Miami Hurricanes benefited from an unearned run in the eighth inning to beat Florida Atlantic University 8-7 Tuesday.

Florida Atlantic (17-12) had 10 hits, hit two homers and led in the fifth but it was not enough to beat the `Canes in Coral Gables at the newly renovated Alex Rodriquez Park at Mark Light Field.

Miami (24-8) improves to 18-7 at home. Harold Martinez hit a two-RBI double and Jason Hagerty and Vickash Ramjit each added two hits.

Trailing by two in the eighth the Owls brought the heart of its order up against freshman reliever Daniel Miranda and Tom Hatcher doubled with two outs and Nick DelGuidice knocked him in on a single to right field.

With the score 6-5 in the bottom of the eighth inning, the `Canes tacked on a pair of timely runs off Chris Schmitt - the second a result of Schmitt's errand pickoff attempt which allowed Nate Melendres (younger brother of FAU lefty Nick Melendres) to score from first base.

It would prove to be needed insurance for UM as Nick Criaris hit a no-doubt two-run homer off preseason All-America closer Kyle Bellamy in the ninth. FAU then put the tying run in scoring position with one out but Bellamy registered back-to-back strikeouts to end it.

William Block tripled off the wall in first inning and came home moments later on Travis Ozga's RBI ground-out to initiate the scoring Tuesday night. The quick run gave FAU lefty starter Brent Adheen a 1-0 lead. Adheen (0-3) - a graduate of Ft. Lauderdale's Northeast High School - took care of business through four innings, scattering five hits and striking out two but was lifted after walking the bases loaded without recording an out in the fifth.

Ahmed Garcia came on and induced two fly-ball outs, limiting the damage before Martinez hit a bases-clearing double off Lou Morey. Ted Blackman added a single which scored Martinez and the Hurricanes' four-run inning turned what was a 2-1 FAU lead into a 5-2 'Canes advantage.

Colby Gratton had hit his fourth homerun of the year, an opposite-field two-run homer in the sixth which had pulled FAU to within one, 5-4 heading into the late innings.

Florida Atlantic will travel to Troy, Alabama this weekend to play a three-game Sun Belt Conference series at Troy, the site of the 2009 SBC Championships.

GAME NOTES: Switch-hitting 3B Sean Bukovich (.280 BA) made his third start of the season - the first time this year Troy Bubley (.327 BA) did not start at third base... Miami was closing out an eight-game homestand... 1,862 were in attendance - Miami's largest midweek crowd of the season... UM 1B Vickash Ramjit, who had a career-high three hits against FAU last month in Boca Raton, finished the night 2-for-3.... FAU pitchers have committed nine errors this season... Miami also beat FAU 13-6 in Boca Raton March 25.