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The road to Omaha began on a positive note, with a convincing 13-2 victory over the Lehigh Mountain Hawks in the season opener, drawing a packed and enthusiastic crowd of 3,221 fans. Starter AJ Ciscar, in mid-season form, struck out seven batters and allowed just one run over five innings. Lehigh took an early lead in the third inning with the bases loaded and two outs, scoring on a Daniel Covet throwing error to first. After two scoreless innings without a hit, the Canes responded in the third, batting around and scoring six runs on only three hits, highlighted by Alex Sosa’s three-run homer that crushed the ball off the second level of the parking garage in right field. The offense remained quiet until the seventh inning, when the Canes exploded for seven runs on six hits, sending 13 players to the plate. Lehigh used seven pitchers in an attempt to contain the relentless Cane offense, which was on a scoring spree in the third and eighth innings, turning both innings into runaways. The only blemishes on the night were three errors. Overall, tonight’s game demonstrated that the Cane pitching staff and bats are poised to be a formidable force in the upcoming season.
There were some surprises in the starting lineup: Jake Ogden played second base while Vance Sheahan manned shortstop. Ogden offers a stronger arm and more experience at shortstop, whereas Vance is more prone to errors. However, JD believed this was the best configuration for Game One. Another surprise was Fabio Peralta starting in left field instead of Max Galvin, who served as the DH tonight. Fabio has a better arm and defensively can cover more ground, and he had a solid preseason. Over the next few weeks, there will be some adjustments to the batting order and field positions. Certain players, like Max Galvin, are key at the plate and should not be kept out of the lineup.
During the first two innings, both teams remained quiet at the plate. In the third inning, both sides found their rhythm, with Lehigh taking an early lead after two hits and a hit batter to load the bases. A slow grounder to third, which should have been the third out, saw Daniel charging but losing control of his throw to first. This lead was short-lived, as Miami responded with six runs in the bottom half of the inning, capitalizing on two walks and Max’s first extra-base hit of the season—a two-RBI double—to take the lead. Fans experienced a brief scare when Daniel, following Max, was hit, though thankfully, there was no serious injury. This prompted Alex Sosa to step up, and the NCS transfer demonstrated why Miami valued him so highly, acquiring him in the portal, crushing the ball into the parking garage’s second level to lift the Canes to a 5-1 advantage. Fabio added another run with an RBI single, extending the lead to 6-1, a margin from which the Mountain Hawks could not recover.
Lehigh scored a run in the sixth on an RBI single, narrowing the lead to 4. However, the Canes responded in the eighth with seven runs, securing the victory and their season’s first win. The game turned in the seventh as Jake Ogden hit a deep RBI triple to right-center, setting the stage for what was to come. Seven straight batters reached base safely—four hits, two walks, and one hit batter—before Lehigh recorded their second out. Since no Mercy Rule was declared, the game continued into a final inning. Ryan Bilka, the team’s closer, was brought in to finish the eighth with runners on second and third and the lead within four. By the end of the inning, with the lead extended to 11, Bilka, no longer needed, was replaced by Lyndon Glidewell, who finished strong by striking out two batters and sealing a 13-2 victory.
The offense would have benefited from more consistent production and better distribution of hits. Nine of their twelve hits occurred within just two innings. After the third inning, the batting pressure diminished, and little was seen from the offense until the eighth inning, when the game was effectively decided. Overall, the team posted a .343 batting average and went 9-21 with runners in scoring position. However, they also recorded 10 strikeouts, an ongoing issue during the preseason. Daniel Cuvet and Vance Sheahan were the only starters without a hit. Three players had multiple hits: Alex Sosa, Derek Williams, and Max Galvin, with Williams leading at 3-4, including two doubles. The team totaled four doubles—two from Williams, one from Cian Copeland, and one from Galvin—and one triple by Jake Ogden. Alex Sosa also contributed a home run.
The overall pitching performance was commendable. The bullpen allowed just one run on three hits across four innings. Excellent relief work was contributed by Brixton Lofgren, Jake Dorn, Ryan Bilka, and Lyndon Guidewell.
The only negative aspect of the game was the three miscues, which have continued to impact this team over the past few years, through preseason and now at the start of a new season. This issue must be addressed before facing tougher competition, where mistakes could cost us games. We have either led or been near the top of the ACC in errors, and unless we improve, this will remain our Achilles’ Heel.
Game two tomorrow set for 6PM with Lazaro Collera owning the circle
