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Sunday marked a decisive turning point, presenting an excellent chance for the Canes to correct the failures of their last two games. In a grueling battle that stretched over three and a half hours, the Canes faced the daunting challenge of holding onto their early 6-run lead as the Huskies fought back fiercely. Nevertheless, Miami expertly exploited Connecticut’s weakened pitching staff, capitalizing on a series of walks as the Huskies’ pitchers floundered with their control. In this high-octane slugfest, with a remarkable total of 26 runs and 24 hits, Miami claimed a decisive 15-11 victory over the Huskies, successfully avoiding a sweep.
The Canes encountered a turbulent start when Brian Walters faced a lead-off single, a stolen base, and a throwing error from catcher Tanner Smith, who failed consistently to find second base throughout the game. JD decisively replaced him with Nolan Johnson. It appeared the Canes hadn’t learned from their past two games, allowing a runner to reach third base without any outs at the game’s onset. Nevertheless, Brian bounced back, striking out the next batter and demonstrating sharp awareness when Daniel caught the base runner at home with a 5-2 putout. The Huskies excel under pressure with two outs, and as evident throughout the series, they seized the opportunity, scoring two runs with a home run from Grant MacArthur—his second of the season. Connecticut established an early lead, and the defense’s performance, combined with Brian’s initial challenges on the mound, painted a bleak picture for the Canes. Brian had run his pitch count to 20 for a subpar start.
In the second inning, the Miami bats had an awakening. Eleven players stepped up to the plate, driving in 5 runs on four hits. They loaded the bases five times and nearly emptied them when Derek Williams connected with a shot that had the left fielder scrambling against the fence. The inning kicked off spectacularly with Max Galvin launching a 401-foot homer to right center, putting the Canes on the board. Following that, three singles from Williams, Marsh, and Smith brought in another run. Renzo flew out to left for the inning’s first out, advancing Marsh and Smith to second and third. A walk loaded the bases, and the offensive explosion began. The left fielder misplayed a fly ball, allowing Marsh to score, followed by two consecutive walks that yielded two more runs. The Huskies were forced to make two pitching changes to stem the tide, only to discover their efforts were futile. By the end of the day, six calls were made to the bullpen, resulting in ten walks, accompanied by 13 hits and 15 runs.
In the third, the Canes picked up where they left off in the second. A couple of walks to open the inning and a pair of hit batters. Miami added to their total on a ground out by Jake to short and after the second hit batter to load the bases once again, Daniel singled through the left side for two more runs giving what looked like a runaway lead at 8-2.
The Huskies demonstrated that appearances can be misleading with their powerful comeback in the 5th inning, scoring two runs thanks to a 2RBI home run, followed by back-to-back singles and a walk that filled the bases. This performance marked a disappointing conclusion to Brian’s outing. JD opted for Carson Fischer in a questionable move, placing him in a situation reminiscent of the previous night, where he allowed all three baserunners to score. Although only one run crossed the plate this time due to a sacrifice fly, Fischer gave up two more runs in the next inning. Many fans criticized JD for choosing Fischer over Will Smith, who was clearly the better option, despite both being right-handed pitchers. Such strategic choices left the fans frustrated and questioning the coaching staff’s judgment.
The three runs in the 5th, the Canes responded with three of their own with a pair of doubles from Ogden and Williams along with a trio of walks from a failing Huskie BP.
The two runs scored in the 6th inning against Fischer were swiftly matched by our team, highlighted by Jake Ogden’s impressive 422-foot home run to left field, the longest in the series. After Fischer conceded those runs, JD made the decision to bring in Smith, acknowledging that Fischer may not have been the optimal choice in that high-pressure situation, reminiscent of the challenge he encountered the previous night. The scores remained tight through the 5th and 6th innings, with Miami keeping the momentum as they clung to a 13-7 lead.
Smith struggled, lasting just two innings and meeting his match in the 8th, after loading the bases with two walks and a single. JD made his choice for Closer, which I certainly disagreed with: Jackson Cleveland. A sacrifice fly to right scored one run, with the runner advancing to third from second. A wild pitch allowed a second run to cross the plate, capped off by MacArthur hitting his second home run of the day, pulling the Huskies to within two runs, but they had only one inning left to capitalize.
Much like in the 5th and 6th innings, the Miami batters kicked off their response with Renzo hitting a solid single and Fabio executing a sacrifice bunt. Back at the top of the lineup, Jake delivered yet again with his third hit of the day—a clutch RBI single. Dorian followed suit with a powerful double, and Daniel received his second intentional walk. With the bases loaded, Max struck a hard shot off the pitcher’s glove, which the Huskies managed to convert into a 1-4-3 ground out, but not before the second run scored, boosting the lead back to four. The Huskies had one final opportunity to achieve the sweep.
JD firmly remained with Cleveland, closing the game by throwing only strikes. He struck out two, securing the victory and decisively averting the sweep.
The offense confidently capitalized on a weakened Huskie bullpen, led by Jake Ogden, who dominated the plate with a 3-5 performance, narrowly missing the cycle with a triple and driving in 5 RBIs. He is undoubtedly the Cane’s top choice to lead off in the batting order. Derek Williams also showcased his skills with a strong 3-5 day, featuring two doubles. Renzo Gonzalez made a significant impact, stepping in for Todd Hudson at first base with his defensive play and at the plate, going 2-4 with a double. The offensive onslaught included Dorian with a double and Max Galvin smashing a home run. Maintaining this aggressive hitting will be crucial as the team approaches Conference play.
Our pitching is a significant concern that demands immediate attention. Our top three starters have not performed well, and we lack a reliable closer. The bullpen has been inconsistent, and as we prepare to face top 25 teams, the competition will only intensify. JD must make a decision about who will be our Friday starter. Nick Robert is clearly not meeting expectations, and although Griffin has shown promise with his strikeouts, neither he nor Walters distinguished themselves this weekend. Based on our performances thus far, the outlook for the season is uncertain.
With a lack of solid defense, a shaky offense, and inconsistent pitching, postseason play is undoubtedly beyond our grasp at this point in the season, even before we’ve truly begun.
We hit the road Tuesday, traveling to Orlando to face UCF before heading north to take on Wake as conference play begins. The start time for Tuesday is 6:30PM.
