|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The Canes finally broke their two-game losing streak with a 5-2 win over Bethune-Cookman’s Wildcats. The game featured a pitching-by-committee strategy, with JD rotating eight pitchers and no one pitching more than two innings. After Miami scored three runs in the 7th to regain the lead, Lazaro Collera and Ryan Bilka held the Wildcats scoreless in the final two innings to secure the victory.
Tonight, Vance Sheahan returned to the lineup after a few weeks’ absence due to an abdominal strain sustained during the Indiana State game on February 18. He resumed playing at shortstop, maintaining his previous level of performance and earning honors for the defensive play of the game in the 4th inning. Offensively, he showed some rust, going 0-4 at the plate, but I expect his timing to return by the weekend series against Boston, and anticipate improved batting numbers. The lineup was also adjusted, with Fabio playing left field instead of Dylan Dubovik, who entered as a pinch hitter in the 7th. Alonzo Averez catching behind home plate with Alex Sosa as the DH.
Miami started strong in the first two innings, with the initial batters reaching base on hits. It wasn’t until the second inning that we capitalized on singles by Brylan West and Alvarez Alonzo, setting up the Canes’ first score with a Fabio sacrifice fly to center, giving Miami a 1-0 lead.
Miami’s third pitcher, TJ Coats, started the fifth inning and was greeted with an opening single. Two batters later, the Wildcats took advantage of an error by Fabio, who let the ball slip under his glove, tying the score at one. The batter moved to third on the error. Jack Durso had to be brought in to record the final out and stop further damage from Fabio’s mistake.
Miami regained the lead in the bottom of the 5th with a sacrifice fly by Daniel. The inning began with walks to Fabio and Jake. Michael’s sacrifice bunt attempt failed when the third baseman threw out Fabio at third. A double steal by Ogden and Torres advanced both runners into scoring position, setting up Daniel’s sacrifice fly to center field, which put Miami ahead for the second time.
The Wildcats quickly tied the game at two when Miami’s fourth pitcher of the night, Jack Durso, hit the leadoff batter in the sixth. Following a single with one out, runners moved to the corners, and after Durso recorded the second out, an RBI single tied the game and ended Jack’s night after 20 pitches. Lyndon Guidewell was brought in to finish the inning.
The breakaway occurred in the seventh inning when Daniel doubled with one out, followed by a walk to Dylan Dubovik that set up a pivotal moment. Derek Williams doubled to right field, driving in Cuvet and Dubovik, and Brylan West capped the inning with a sacrifice fly to center, giving Miami a three-run lead. Collera and Bilka then secured the win, preventing the Wildcats from mounting a response.
Offensively, this was not their best game, but they still got the job done and secured an important midweek win. They will need to adopt a more aggressive offensive approach against Boston in their ACC opener. The bright spot was recording only three strikeouts, the fewest in a game. However, with a 1-for-10 performance in runners in scoring position, improvement is needed there. To stay competitive, they must capitalize on scoring opportunities and push across runs. Two players had notable performances tonight: Jake Ogden went 2-for-4, and Brylan West was 2-for-2. Of the eight hits, two were doubles—by Derek Williams and Daniel Cuvet—both coming in the critical seventh inning when Miami took the decisive lead.
Miami continues to struggle with errors. Tonight, one was costly while the other was not. The catcher’s interference call in the second inning allowed the team to escape, with Tate ending the inning after a pair of strikeouts. However, Fabio’s error in the fifth inning did lead to a run and forced Jack Durso to stop further damage. The main point: errors lead to runs. Luckily, it didn’t cost the game tonight.
The ACC Conference season begins on Friday, with Miami taking on Boston in a three-game series. AJ Ciscar is set to start on Friday, with the first pitch at 7 PM
