The Miami Hurricane baseball team continued their inconsistent play losing two of three to the No. 10 Florida St. Semillons last weekend.
In the final game of the series, Seminole freshman shortstop Stephen Drew hit a walk-off three-run home run in the bottom of the 13th inning to hand FSU (30-11) a 9-7 victory over Miami (18-15) in front of 4,096 fans Sunday afternoon at Dick Howser Stadium.
FSU had rallied back twice in the late innings, including George Huguet walking in the tying run in the bottom of the ninth. The Hurricane defense and pitching held the tie the remainder of the ninth and 10th even after the Seminoles had loaded the bases with no outs in each inning.
Miami went ahead in the top of the 13th, 7-6, on Paco Figueroa’s grounder that was misplayed by Drew, allowing Haas Pratt to score from third. Pratt led off the inning with a double to right field.
UM starter Kiki Bengochea took a no-decision going six innings with eight hits, five runs (four earned), two walks and seven strikeouts.
Outfielder Brad Safchik led the Hurricanes offensively with a grand slam (first career homerun) in the second inning.
In Saturday’s game, Miami put an end to Florida State’s 19-game home winning streak with a 5-2 victory. UM starter Dan Touchet (3-1) pitched a team-season-high, as well as career-high, 7.2 innings allowing six hits, two earned runs, two walks, six strikeouts and one hit batter.
Offensively, the Hurricanes were led by freshman centerfielder Danny Figueroa, who went 4-for-4 at the plate with a run scored and two RBI. The two RBI were the only two for Miami, after FSU committed three errors in the game, two of which allowed runs to score. A FSU passed ball in the first also allowed a run to come in.
On Friday night, FSU out-hit Miami 13-8 in the game, while totaling a season-best five home runs off of UM pitching to win 13-3. The Seminoles scored in each inning, before getting held scoreless in the seventh.
UM starter T.J. Prunty (4-2) scored the loss as he went 2.2 innings allowing five hits, seven earned runs, four walks, three strikeouts and one hit batter. Reliever Brandon Camardese came in for 2.1 innings with five hits, four earned runs, one walk, three strikeouts and two hit batters.
FSU leads Miami 117-105-3 in the all-time series that began in the 1951 season. The series is the second oldest on the UM schedule behind the Florida series (1940), but UM and FSU have played the most games (224). Miami leads FSU 33-23 during the Jim Morris era (1994-present), including a 16-14 advantage on the road in Tallahassee.
-HurricaneSports.com