Miami pitching struggles again in second consecutive loss to Georgia Tech

Photo credit: Josh White

For the second-straight game, Georgia Tech gave Miami starting pitchers all kinds of problems, and the Hurricanes, once again, had no answer.

The Yellow Jackets got off to a quick start, much like in their 6-1 win March 30, and racked up 14 hits to bury the Canes 13-4 March 31 in Atlanta.

UM sophomore Evan McKendry (4-3), who was fresh off his third ACC Pitcher of the Week award, had arguably his worst outing this season. He allowed nine hits and six earned runs in five innings while striking out just four batters.

On the other end, Conner Thomas (3-3) was effective, striking out 10 Hurricanes in 7 1/3 innings.

Miami (12-14, 6-5 ACC) totaled six hits on the day and didn’t score until the seventh inning.

Oscar Serratos and Wade Bailey led the way for Georgia Tech (16-11, 5-6 ACC) with seven combined hits and four RBIs. Baron Radcliff sealed the win with a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning.

After giving up only one hit through the first two innings, McKendry had a rough third. Singles by Bailey and Joey Bart would drive in three runs, and the Yellow Jackets would score another after a hit-by-pitch with bases loaded to give them a 4-0 lead.

McKendry appeared to have settled down and gotten out of the fourth inning unscathed after catcher Michael Amditis, who missed the previous 17 games due to injury, threw out Serratos at second base, but the call was overturned. McKendry then had another chance to put the fourth behind him but missed a routine throw to Alex Toral at first base, which allowed Serratos to score.

Miami got on the board with a two-run homer from freshman outfielder Gabe Rivera in the seventh inning.

Freshman pitcher Chris McMahon saw his first regular season action as a Miami Hurricane, lasting 2 1/3 innings and giving up two runs.

An Isaac Quiñones two-run double in the eighth inning got UM within three runs and gave the Hurricanes a glimmer of hope.

But McMahon threw a wild pitch in the bottom of the eighth, and Frankie Bartow couldn’t do much better, giving up the Radcliff home run to put the contest out of reach.

The Canes will try to avoid a sweep in game three, which is set for a 1 p.m. start Sunday, April 1.