March 21, 2008

Box Score

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Sophomore lefty Eric Erickson won his fifth straight and six different Hurricanes hit a home run as No. 4 Miami routed Wake Forest, 17-4, in game one of their Atlantic Coast Conference series in front of 2,920 fans at Mark Light Field Friday night. Yonder Alonso, Jason Hagerty, Dennis Raben, Mark Sobolewski, Joey Terdoslavich and Jemile Weeks each hit long balls for the Hurricanes (16-2, 6-1 ACC), who homered six times in a game for the first time since 1999. 

Erickson (5-0) started off slow but ended up tossing six solid innings for Miami. He allowed three earned runs in the first two innings before settling down to two-hit the Demon Deacons (11-8, 4-3 ACC) over the next four innings. He finished with seven strikeouts. Sophomore right-hander David Gutierrez earned a three-inning save as he limited the Demon Deacons to one run on two hits and struck out four.

Weeks and Tekotte each finished with three hits. Weeks added three RBI - all three coming on a seventh-inning three-run home run to left field. Sobolewski and Alonso each added a pair of hits for the Hurricanes, who pounded out 14 hits in the game.

Ben Hunter (1-3) took the loss for Wake Forest as he allowed seven runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings. He also walked five and struck out two. Weldon Woodall finished 2-for-3 with two RBI and Dustin Hood collected two hits for Wake Forest.

Miami trailed 3-0 right off the bat, before outscoring the Demon Deacons, 17-1 over the final seven innings.

Weeks three-run home run and Hagerty's first career home run capped off a seven-run seventh inning that put the Hurricanes ahead, 17-3. Wake Forest added a run in the top of the eighth when Allan Dykstra scored after Andy Goff hit into a double play making it, 17-4.

Alonso led off the sixth with a solo home run to left field putting UM ahead, 8-3. After a Sobolewski double, Terdoslavich's two-run homer extended the Hurricane lead to 10-3.

Sobolewski unloaded his second home run deep over the scoreboard in left field with a man on base extending the Hurricane lead to 6-3 in the bottom of the fifth. UM then loaded the bases in the fifth with two outs and added a run when Tekotte was hit by a pitch bringing in another run to make it, 7-3.

Raben knocked the first pitch he saw over the fence in right center for a two-run homer - his third of the season putting the Hurricanes ahead, 4-3.

UM capitalized on a Wake Forest throwing error to score its first run and pull within, 3-1. Blake Tekotte's RBI single scored Jason Hagerty to make it, 3-2.

Weldon Woodall's two-out two-run double put the Demon Deacons ahead, 2-0, in the first. Ben Terry's RBI double with two outs in the second inning gave the Demon Deacons a 3-0 lead.

Miami continues its series with Wake Forest Saturday night at 7 p.m. Saturday is Dollar-Dog night at Mark Light Field.

Game Notes

§       Junior right fielder Dennis Raben homered for the third time this season in the bottom of the second. Of Raben's five hits this season, two are doubles and three are home runs. He is slugging .889.

§       Sophomore catcher Jason Hagerty's grand slam was the first grand slam of the season and the first of Hagerty's career. The last time, Miami hit a grand slam was a year ago. Catcher Richard O'Brien hit one on the road at Wake Forest in a 9-8 14-inning win for the Hurricanes.

§       The last time, Miami had six home runs in a game was in 1999 when UM hit six against Elon on May, 2, 1999. Earlier this season, Miami homered five times in the 10-7 win over Boston College, which included a school-record four homers in an inning.

§        Sophomore right-hander David Gutierrez recorded his first career save in the win over Wake Forest. It was the second time this season a Miami pitcher had a three-inning save in a game.