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HASTA LUEGO. Four times today, park clearing HRs accounted for 5 of the Miami 8 runs, propelling the revitalized Canes to an 8-6 series win. It was an air show performance, backed by stellar relief pitching from Will Smith and Closer Brian Walters, lifting the Canes to their second consecutive ACC series win, moving them into the third tier of the ACC standings.
Today’s lineup saw the absence of Derick Williams, who injured his hand in yesterday’s game and will be x-rayed tomorrow to determine the extent of the damage and whether it will result in a prolonged absence from the lineup. His batting is crucial, as he leads the team in home runs and doubles, and we pray that this does not turn into a season-ending injury. I don’t understand JD’s logic in putting two sub-par hitters batting below .200 in the lineup. The outdated approach of matching hitters with pitchers must come to an end. You need the best players on the field. Michael Torres is a skilled fielder, yet he continues to struggle against college pitching. Opting for Evan Taveras as our designated hitter over Bobby Marsh is questionable. Yes, Evan hit one of the four home runs today, which was his sole hit, but he also struck out twice. Meanwhile, Michael Torres delivered yet another hitless performance. While I acknowledge Evan’s hitting capability, I firmly believe that Bobby should be the one swinging the bat, no matter the circumstances.
In a game filled with momentum shifts, Duke made the first statement. Like Griffin on Friday, Tate found himself in a difficult position with a pitch count of 25 at the end of the first inning, with Miami trailing 2-0 after a two-run home run. Tate settled down, permitting only a walk in the second inning and a single in the fourth before Miami managed to chip away at the score in the fourth with Daniel Cuvet’s sixth home run of the year, his second in two days. In the play leading up to Daniel’s HR, it could have been detrimental to the final outcome, which, fortunately, it was not. However, this is worth mentioning. Jake leads off with a single. Fabio lays down a sacrifice bunt, advancing Jake to second, where he decides to stretch it to third, believing Duke’s defense had lowered its guard. He is thrown out at third; had he stayed at second, it would have tied the score at two instead of trailing by one.
Duke, maintaining a one-run lead into the 5th, saw a pitching change after Tate gave up a lead-off single. He managed to get the next two batters out before hitting Tyler Albright on his 82nd pitch, prompting JD to come out of the dugout for a pitching change, bringing in Carson Fischer. With runners on first and second, Jake Hyde hits a triple that gets past Torres in center, extending the lead to 4-1.
The 5th inning was the turning point of the game for Miami. Trailing by three runs, the Miami offense surged, sending Duke’s starting pitcher to the bench after the first five batters reached base safely. Dorian ignited the rally with a solid single, followed by Evan, whose line drive homer to left cut the deficit to just one run. With the bases cleared, Miami swiftly reloaded, establishing a new baseload through a walk, a single, and another walk.
With the bases loaded and no outs, a pitching change stirred anticipation. Despite some anxious moments when Jake struck out and Fabio popped out to second, the fans held their breath, witnessing what felt like a pivotal opportunity slipping away. Daniel stepped up to the plate to seize the moment and establish a commanding lead. After running the count to 1-2, Daniel delivered a game-changing double, clearing the bases and finally putting Miami in the lead for the first time, with a score of 6-4.
Duke refused to be denied with a two-run homer that tied the score at six. Fischer, who had given up four runs on two homers in two innings, prompted Miami to bring in Will Smith to halt Duke’s momentum. Miami fans witnessed the emergence of Will Smith as their setup pitcher. He stopped Duke in their tracks with a strikeout to end the sixth inning, dominating the hitters by retiring them in order and adding four strikeouts, including the inning-ending strikeout in the sixth.
In a fiercely contested game tied at six, Dorian electrified the crowd by leading off the bottom of the sixth with Miami’s third home run of the day, reclaiming the lead at 7-6. Will Smith decisively thwarted Duke’s rally attempts, demonstrating his dominance on the mound. In the eighth inning, Dorian struck again, smashing his second home run of the game and adding a crucial insurance run, creating a two-run buffer for Brian to secure the victory. Brian retired a bewildered Blue Devil team with just six pitches, sealing the series and marking Miami’s second consecutive ACC series win.
Crucial hitting by Daniel and Dorian played a significant role in today’s win over a determined Duke team, who, after Friday’s one-sided decision, tried in vain to recapture that momentum. Today’s four home runs, with Will and Brian holding off the charge, proved more than Duke was able to endure. Miami still has a long way to go, but this weekend’s come-from-behind series victory is definitely a step in the right direction. On Tuesday, they have a score to settle against FAU, narrowing winning from their last meeting to even the series. 6:00 PM will be the rubber match.
