Baseball
Miami freshman catcher Alex Garabedian drove in three runs and senior Brendan Katin hit an inside-the-park home run to lead the Hurricanes baseball team to a 9-7 win against the Florida Marlins in an exhibition game at Roger Dean Stadium Tuesday afternoon. It was UM’s first win against a Major League team since a 7-6 win against the Baltimore Orioles on March 10, 1982 and second win overall against a MLB club.
UM tagged Florida starter Dontrelle Willis for six runs on six hits in 2.1 innings. Miami threw the whole kitchen sink at the Marlins, using eight pitchers for the win. Only freshman Raudel Alfonso, who also picked up the win, pitched more than an inning for the Hurricanes. Sophomore Danny Gil picked up the save.
Senior Brandon Camardese started the game and sent the Marlins down in order in the first inning. Vince Bongiovanni came on in the second and worked his way out of a two-out, bases-loaded jam by forcing catcher Matt Treanor to ground out to third.
The Hurricanes got hits from Danny Figueroa and Jon Jay in the first, but were unable to convert on the base paths. Katin opened the scoring in the second with an inside-the-park home run to center field for a 1-0 lead. Roger Tomas followed with an infield single and was brought in by a triple from Garabedian. Walter Diaz grounded out to first to bring in Garabedian for a 3-0 Miami lead heading into the bottom of the second.
Junior Ryan Braun carried UM’s momentum at the plate into the third with a two-run double down the left field line that brought in Paco Figueroa and Jay. Willis, who was on a 50-pitch count, was spelled by Josh Johnson. Garabedian greeted Johnson with a two-run double to up the lead to 7-0.
The Marlins mustered one run in the third off junior Andrew Lane on a fielder’s choice. Lane pitched his way out of a bases-loaded situation with no outs by getting Miguel Cabrera to ground into a 4-3 double play and struck out Major League All-Star Carlos Delgado to end the inning.
Jay singled in the fourth to score Danny Figueroa for an 8-1 ‘Canes lead. Jon McLean and Carlos Gutierrez pitched scoreless fifth and sixth innings for UM. Katin made the defensive play of the day, leaping and coming down with a shot by Jason Stokes that had cleared the fence in right-center to end the inning.
Danny Robitaille pinch-hit for Ryan Braun in the sixth and brought home Paco Figueroa for a 9-1 lead. Florida answered with a three-run sixth off freshman Manny Miguelez to come within 9-4. Joe Dillon hit a three-run home run to left in the eighth off Alfonso to come within 9-7.
Miami improved to 2-23-1 all-time against Major League teams.