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With a six-game winning streak on the line, Miami traveled across town to confront the FIU Panthers in their cross-town rivalry, determined to claim bragging rights. After suffering a humiliating defeat in their previous matchup, Miami must now wait until May 7th to even the series, as the Panthers triumphed yet again, this time in extra innings, securing a 5-4 victory.
Miami, following a dominant series against the 13th-ranked Georgia Tech team, is clearly struggling with mid-week doldrums. The bats are inexplicably silent, and the bullpen has lost its edge. Perhaps overly focused on the upcoming weekend series with Boston, this is not the team that has consistently terrorized the field over the past six games with exceptional hitting and pitching. Singles alone will not secure victories; with just five in total and only one extra-base hit, our chances for a late-game rally were extinguished. Solid contact at the plate with a man on third with one out would have guaranteed a win, but instead, it faltered.
Miami’s performance in the opening innings decisively shapes the game’s trajectory. Tanner Smith’s strikeout sent a strong message in the first inning, with runners on second and third and two outs. The second inning featured an opening single, but getting caught stealing at second raised serious doubts about our momentum. Max’s opportunity for a double in the third was snatched away by the opposing third baseman’s outstanding diving catch, leaving us frustrated. With FIU surging back with three runs in the third inning, it was clear: this was not the same team we had seen over the last six games.
Reese Lumpkin faced challenges as the midweek starter, beginning tonight’s game with back-to-back singles. Fortunately, the team turned a 6-4-3 double play, providing a brief reprieve. However, that relief quickly evaporated in the third inning. After allowing three hits, hitting a batter, and throwing 28 pitches, the Panthers took a 3-0 lead. The following inning threatened to spiral out of control with the bases loaded and one out. Yet, Reese managed to escape with a crucial 4-3 double play, ending the threat.
Pitching faced challenges for the first four innings, and the offense managed only two inconsequential singles. However, in the fifth inning, Miami finally started to get the wheels turning. An opening walk to Renzo, who advanced to second on a wild pitch, set the stage for Michael Torres to drive in the first run with an RBI single up the middle. Jake followed with his own single, and Max drew a walk to load the bases with no outs, bringing Daniel to the plate. Daniel hit a grounder to second, which initially looked like a double play. Yet, Daniel narrowly beat the throw to first, allowing Torres to score the second run. Dorian lined out to short for the second out. In an attempt to double up Daniel at first, the shortstop threw to first, but Jake, capitalizing on the first baseman’s momentary lapse, sprinted home to beat the throw from first. This decisive move tied the score at three, reigniting Miami’s hopes in the game.
The reprieve and opportunity to gain the upper hand against a reluctant Panther team diminish with one ill-fated pitch in the 6th inning. After throwing 96 pitches and with a runner on second, JD makes a questionable decision to bring in a pitcher who has had limited action this season instead of choosing Carson Fischer, our reliable middle reliever. JD’s strategy to exploit a left-left matchup culminates in the insertion of Jake Dorn. Dorn’s stint on the mound is not only short-lived but a complete disaster. His very first pitch results in a devastating triple to right field, just beyond Jake Kulikowski’s grasp, allowing the Panthers to seize the lead once again at 4-3. JD, acknowledging the error in his logic, turned to who he should have brought in the first place: Carson Fischer.
Carson kept the Panthers at bay before turning it over to Will Smith in the 8th, trailing by one. Will got himself in a jam loading the bases, giving up a single, walk, and hitting a batter. Pitching change and JD goes with Alex Giroux rather than our closer Brian Walters. I guess JD is saving Brian for the weekend when this game is at a critical point. Alex gets the team off the hook with a 6-3 groundout.
With three outs left, Evan Taveras steps up to the plate in the 9th inning, and the count is 2-1. He delivers a powerful home run to left field, tying the game at four runs. Michael Torres, showing patience, draws a walk with one out. A wild pitch enables the speedy Michael to advance to third base, setting the stage perfectly for the top of the lineup to clinch victory. Despite this prime opportunity, struggling at the plate, Jake strikes out. Now it’s Max’s turn at bat, but he also walks, missing the crucial hit that could have secured the win. With runners on the corners and two outs, the spotlight shifts to Daniel, who must deliver his first hit in this moment. However, he flies out to center. While it was deep enough for a potential tag-up, the two outs hindered a scoring opportunity.
The Panthers failed to score in the 9th inning, forcing the game into extra innings. The outcome was disastrous. With Alex on the mound, rather than opting for Brian, he hit the first batter. Daniel fielded a sacrifice bunt and chose to throw to second base, but his throw pulled Dorian off the bag. Another sacrifice bunt advanced both runners to 2nd and 3rd base. In a strategic move, Alex intentionally walked the next batter to load the bases. An infield fly rule was invoked with the bases loaded and one out. After two outs, Brylan West landed the decisive blow with a line drive down the left field line that slipped past Daniel, clinching the winning score for the Panthers. This was a tough loss—one that we let slip from our grasp, leading to a critical midweek loss.
Following a standout weekend where they demonstrated significant offensive capability against a ranked opponent, the Canes disappointingly came out flat. They recorded only five hits and a single home run, leading to a lackluster team batting average of .178. With runners in scoring position, they were merely 1 for 8. This serves as a major setback after what seemed like a breakthrough for the team. They must undertake serious regrouping as they prepare for this weekend’s series against Boston, with the first pitch set for 4:00 PM
