On Tuesday night at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field, junior standout Kyle Bellamy proved why he was named the closer of the Mid-Season All-American team by Baseball America.
Bellamy worked in and out of trouble in the ninth inning and was able to preserve the 3-1 victory over FAU at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.
Bellamy recorded his ACC-leading 10th save of the season.
“The ninth inning did not go quite as I planned, but a win is a win,” Bellamy said. “My defense really picked me up tonight.”
With the bases loaded and no one out in the top of the ninth inning, Bellamy induced an unconventional double play. FAU third baseman Troy Bubley hit a fly ball to junior left fielder Chris Herrmann. Herrmann threw to freshman third baseman Harold Martinez who then fired a strike to home plate as junior catcher Jason Hagerty provided the swipe tag.
The next batter grounded out to end the game, as UM (26-10, 11-7) defeated FAU (17-16) for the third time this season.
“[Bellamy] is our ace,” Hagerty said. “You feel that he is going to come in and shut the door every time. He has great stuff and the right mentality. He has a great work ethic and is always prepared. Every time he gets out there we feel like the game is over.”
Senior starter Jason Santana threw a gem, tossing a career-high seven innings while allowing one run and five hits. He improved his record to 6-0, and half of his wins have come against the FAU Owls. He defeated them for the third time in as many weeks.
The game’s deciding play came in the fifth inning, when sophomore designated hitter Harold Martinez blooped a single to shallow center field that plated freshman center fielder Nathan Melendres, giving the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead.
The Canes added an insurance run in the seventh, as Hagerty extended his hitting streak to 13 games with an RBI double in right center field.
The Hurricanes have a crucial series with No. 5 North Carolina beginning Friday night at 7 p.m. in Chapel Hill. All games can be heard on 90.5 FM WVUM.