A weekend to forget for the University of Miami. The No. 17 Hurricanes dropped their rubber match 5-0 against the Dartmouth Big Green. It was the first Miami-series loss to a non power-five team since May 2009 and UM’s fourth time being shutout this season.
“It’s just frustrating because yesterday we played so well with so much energy, and you could just see the passion in everybody’s eyes and they wanted it,” senior co-captain Johnny Ruiz said. “Today, for some reason, nobody had that energy. That’s the most frustrating part. We just have to find a way to be passionate and have energy and play with fire. We played good enough to win yesterday, and today we didn’t.”
The Canes (4-6), who out-hit the Big Green eight to seven, committed three errors and left 10 runners on base adding to their 15 defensive blunders and offensive struggles – batting .184 this season.
“They out-played us this weekend,” Coach Jim Morris said. “They out-pitched us, they out-defensed us and they got timely hits. We actually had more hits than they did today but not at the right times. We’ve got to play better.”
On the first pitch of the afternoon, Dartmouth (4-2) center fielder Trevor Johnson rocketed a home run over the left-field wall putting the Big Green in front 1-0.
In the second inning, Miami’s defense gave up a costly play. With a runner on second and nobody out, a routine ground-ball hit to senior Johnny Ruiz, who was playing his first game in the field this season, turned into a little-league triple for Dartmouth’s Mike Brown.
Ruiz couldn’t handle the hop, and shortstop Romy Gonzalez lost control of the ball that ended up trickling into right field, which allowed a second run for the Big Green.
Two batters later, Dartmouth shortstop Nate Ostmo bunted for an infield single, pushing Brown across to score and extending the Big Green lead to 3-0.
With runners on the corners for Dartmouth in the top of the fourth inning, the Big Green added two more to their tally when Miami senior catcher Joe Gomez threw the ball into the outfield trying to catch Ostmo stealing second base. Justin Fowler scored from third, and Ostmo would later score on a fielder’s choice, putting Dartmouth in front 5-0.
Miami pitching shut down Dartmouth in the last four innings, allowing zero hits. But the Canes offense was unable to scrape across anything against Big Green pitcher Michael Danielak, who fired seven shutout innings that included six strikeouts and just five hits.
Junior left hander Michael Mediavilla pitched five innings, giving up five runs – only two of which were earned – and struck out three for Miami as he dropped to 0-3 in the young season.
“As a team, we have to make adjustments,” said Ruiz, who is still dealing with a sore elbow. “Whatever we’re doing right now isn’t working. If we play with passion and energy, I don’t think there are many teams that are going to beat us with the pitching staff we have.”
To make matters worse for the Canes, Morris confirmed that freshman catcher Michael Amditis will have season-ending surgery on his broken left leg on Wednesday.
Miami will try to get back in the win column when it hosts crosstown foe FIU at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Mark Light Field as part of a home-and-home series with the Panthers.