‘Canes take two of three

The Hurricane baseball team left Charlottesville, Virginia on Sunday with a two games to one series victory, improving to 27-7 on the season.
The series began on Friday with J.D. Cockroft pitching the first complete game by a Miami pitcher in 145 games, as the Hurricanes cruised to a 6-1 win in front of 865 fans at Davenport Field.
“That was the best game we have played all year,” Head Coach Jim Morris said. “J.D. (Cockroft) pitched an outstanding game and Jim Burt picked us up offensively.”
Cockroft gave up one unearned run and six hits in his nine innings, while striking out five and only walking one on 103 pitches. The last complete game by a Miami pitcher was Feb. 24, 2001, as Kiki Bengochea recorded a 2-0 shut out of Florida International.
“To tell you the truth, the last inning felt as good as the first inning,” Cockroft said. “I got in a rhythm early and stayed in a groove the entire game.”
Burt led the way offensively for UM, going 2-for-4 with a season-high four RBIs and two home runs. Adam Ricks added a 3-for-5 performance, including an RBI and three doubles. Ricks is the first Cane to register three doubles in a game since Kevin Howard collected three against Georgia Tech on May 11, 2002.
Burt blew the game wide open in the sixth inning with his second home run of the night and his eighth of the season. The three-run shot put UM on top 6-1 and gave Burt a season-high five RBIs.
Burt put the Hurricanes on the scoreboard in the second inning with his seventh home run of the season deep to left-center field off UVA starter Chris Gale.
On Saturday the ‘Canes took advantage of four Virginia errors to beat the Cavaliers 10-4 in front of a UVA record crowd of 1,995 fans a Davenport Field on Saturday night.
The Hurricanes got the start they have been looking for from Brandon Camardese, who pitched a career-high 6.2 innings after being roughed up in his last two outings. Camardese improved this record to 5-0 on the season, while giving up seven hits and two runs. UVA starter Andrew Dobies pitched five innings allowing six hits and two runs but picked up a no decision in the effort.
UM closer George Huguet pitched 2.1 innings to earn his sixth save of the season and 28th of his career.
Gaby Sanchez was the offensive star for the Hurricanes with three hits, two RBIs and two runs scored. Burt and Brian Barton also chipped in with two hits apiece.
Gabe Spooner entered the game in the sixth inning in relief of Dobies. He was greeted with a base hit from Sanchez, his second hit of the night. Sanchez would come around to on a wild pitch by Spooner to give the Hurricanes a 3-2 lead.
The Hurricanes tacked on another run in the eighth inning with a sacrifice fly off the bat of Richard Giannotti to score San Pedro, who was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning. San Pedro was moved into scoring position on designated hitter Joey Hooft’s double.
Miami put the game away with six runs in the ninth inning, all of which were unearned. The inning was highlighted by an RBI double by Sanchez.
Braun’s finished the night 0-for-4 to snap his 14-game hitting streak, two games shy of the Hurricanes’ freshman record set by Jim Maler in 1977.
Virginia scored two runs (one earned) on three flare hits in the bottom of the night inning of Huguet, who got a double play to end the game.
With two outs in the seventh inning, Huguet came on in relief of Camardese after the Cavs’ Kyle Werman had singled. Huguet managed to get out of the inning without even throwing a pitch, picking Werman off first base to retire the side.
In the series finale on Sunday Virginia took advantage of four Miami errors and 12 walks by Hurricanes’ pitching to salvage the final game of the three-game series, 17-2, in front of 1,358 fans at Davenport Field.
The game was called after seven innings after reaching the 3:40 p.m. curfew to allow Miami to make its flight out of Richmond.
Alex Perez, a junior college All-American out of Bookdale Community College in New Jersey, took the loss (0-1) in his first career start. Perez filled out the Hurricanes’ rotation that was without No. 2-starter Vince Bongiovanni who didn’t make the trip with a forearm strain. Perez went three innings, allowing four runs on six hits before being relieved by Marcelo Albir, who failed to get an out in the fourth inning.
Virginia jumped on top early with a RBI double of the bat of Cavaliers’ shortstop Mark Reynolds and a RBI single from pitcher/designated hitter Joe Koshansky.
UVA tacked on another run in the second inning to take a 3-0 lead on an RBI single by second baseman Werman to score Chris Sweet. UM got on the scoreboard with a swinging bunt by Hooft that scored Braun who had reached on a past ball by the UVA catcher Headd after a strikeout. Braun advanced to third on a double San Pedro down the right-field line.
The wheels fell off for the Hurricanes in the fourth inning, giving up five runs on two errors and five walks, as the Cavaliers sent 11 batters to the plate to take a 8-1 lead. Albir was responsible for four runs with one run charged to Chiqui Chirino, who walked two batters in. Shawn Valdes-Fauli came in to retire the side for the Hurricanes.
Second-ranked Florida State ventures to Mark Light Field next Friday, Saturday and Sunday for a three-game series that begins at 7 p.m. on Friday.

– Compiled by the sports information department