University of North Carolina Athletics
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Miami Edges Carolina In Rain-Shortened Series Finale
April 18, 2010 | Baseball
April 18, 2010
CORAL GABLES, Fla. - A two-out wild pitch scored Scott Lawson from third to give Miami an 8-7 eight-inning victory over No. 21 North Carolina on a rainy Sunday afternoon at Alex Rodriguez Park. Michael Morin suffers the loss as Carolina falls to 22-16 overall and 6-12 in league play. Miami steals the win improving to 26-9 on the year and 14-4 in the ACC.
The series finale featured numerous rain delays, including a one hour and fifteen minute delay to start. The league travel rule, allowing no inning to start after 5:15 p.m., combined with the rain delays limited play to only eight innings. The final inning was marred by sporadic torrential rain and challenging playing conditions.
Morin (5-1) allowed three runs on one hit in one inning of work sufering his first loss of the season. Starter Patrick Johnson allowed five runs on eight hits in 3.1 innings of work. Johnson walked just one Hurricane and struck out three.
Relievers Colin Bates and Garrett Davis combined to throw 2.2 shutout innings. Nate Striz threw the wild pitch that gave Miami the win, but allowed no earned runs in the loss.
Daniel Miranda (3-1) earned the win for Miami throwing two shutout innings. Santana allowed seven runs, only five earned, in four innings of work. The Hurricanes used three relief pitchers that combined to throw two shutout innings.
Ben Bunting, Jesse Wierzbicki, Brian Goodwin and Levi Michael all registered two hits to pace Carolina offensively. Carolina posted 11 hits and scored all of their runs in the first five innings.
The Hurricanes darted out to a 2-0 lead after one frame. A Yasmani Grandal two-RBI double off the center field wall pushed Miami in front scoring two runs on three hits.
After Santana disposed of the Heels on just four pitches in the opening frame, Carolina scored three runs on two hits and one Miami error in the second. The Tar Heels loaded the bases and Seth Baldwin laced a line drive to right field scoring Michael on a sacrifice fly. Ryan Graepel then battled from down in the count with two outs to drive in two Tar Heels on a Miami error to give Carolina a 3-2 lead.
Carolina tacked on two more runs on three straight hits in the top of the third. Goodwin doubled in Bunting and Michael drove home Wierzbicki on a sacrifice fly. The Tar Heels stranded one runner in scoring position, but owned a 5-2 lead after three.
Johnson settled in after allowing a pair of runs in the first to throw two straight scoreless frames. Ryan Perry ended the drought for Miami, belting a solo home run over the left field fence for his second home run in as many games.
Bates entered in relief with runners at first and second with one out in the top of the fourth. After issuing a walk to load the bases, Grandal ripped a single up the middle to bring home two `Canes and tie the score at five. Bates ended the frame with a big strikeout and line out, but not before Miami knotted the score at five.
The Tar Heels quickly relinquished the lead after back-to-back doubles off the bats of Bunting and Wierzbicki pushed Carolina in front 6-5. E. J.Encinosa entered to pitch, but Dillon Hazlett parachuted a single to center to score Wierzbicki giving the Heels a 7-5 lead. Left-hander Robinson was able to close out the inning with a pair of strikeouts.
Bates labored in the sixth walking a pair of batters, but was bailed out when Wierzbicki hosed Zeke DeVoss trying to steal second. Davis finished the inning of the mound recording a fly out to end the inning.
Carolina stranded two base runners in scoring position in a wild top of the seventh. The frame featured a one-minute rain delay as teams rushed back onto the field to finish the half inning. Pinch-hitter Brett Knief lined out to second base as the Hurricanes escaped the inning.
After a quick bottom of seventh and top of the eighth, DeVoss led off the bottom of the eighth with a solo home run over the center field fence. Morin then issued two straight walks with steady rain falling during the final frame, bringing Striz into pitch.
Striz entered to pitch with runners at first and second and no outs. The junior owned a 1-2 count on Grandal when torrential rain ensued. A rain delay of four minutes resumed the at-bat with Grandal earning a base hit to load the bases.
With heavy rain still falling, Striz induced a double play ball, but the Hurricanes plated the tying run. On the next pitch the Lakeland, Fla., native threw an errant pitch allowing Lawson to score.
Carolina will return to action Wednesday hosting Davidson for a midweek tilt.
