On Friday evening at Russ Chandler Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, the Miami Hurricanes were searching for some road magic to take the opening game from the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Down one run in the top of the eighth inning, following a walk from Edgardo Villegas, Daniel Cuvet was due up against Tech’s Ben King.
On the first pitch, he saw, sitting on King’s breaking ball, the freshman third baseman powered his team-high 14th home run of the season deep over the wall in center field. Cuvet’s long ball led Miami in this back-and-forth contest, leading 5-4.
Following an RBI walk in the ninth frame to extend the lead to two, Miami head coach J.D. Arteaga let redshirt sophomore Brian Walters finish the game, getting the last six outs and picking up his first career save to secure victory over the Yellow Jackets.
Miami ace Gage Ziehl reappeared for the Hurricanes, giving the team much-needed length against an explosive Georgia Tech offense. In seven innings of work, Ziehl allowed just one earned run on six hits, striking out two batters.
Ziehl and Walters also held GT freshman phenom Drew Burress hitless this evening, something few ACC teams have been able to do. Entering tonight’s game with a seven-game hitting streak, Burress is tied for the ACC lead in home runs while also batting an impressive .369.
Despite UM winning its first game of the series against an ACC opponent since the Clemson series in March, the Canes still struggled defensively, an issue that has remained with the team throughout the season.
The Yellow Jackets threatened Ziehl and the Hurricanes in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Outfielder Bobby Zmarzlak hit a ball to shortstop Antonio Jimenez with the bases loaded and two outs. Jimenez tried going the easy way to second but failed to communicate that with Dorian Gonzalez Jr., hitting the runner at second and letting two runs score.
UM relied heavily on the long ball this afternoon, scoring five of its six runs from home runs.
In the top of the first inning, Villegas homered on the third pitch of the afternoon, taking Aeden Finatari deep over the wall in right field, giving Miami an early 1-0 lead.
Lorenzo Carrier provided some pop at the plate for the Hurricanes when the team needed it most. In the fifth frame, down two, Carrier sent a laser that scraped over the wall in left-center field. Carrier’s seventh home run of the year tied the scoring again at three.