After losing the opening two games of the series, the Miami Hurricanes bounced back to beat the UConn Huskies in a 15-11 thriller.
Junior shortstop Jake Ogden continued his excellence on the year and paved the way for a ’Canes win. Ogden feasted at the plate with three hits and five RBIs, with one of those hits being a homer, which tracked over 422 feet.
After scoring seven and 12 runs, respectively, in the past two games against UM, UConn wasted no time staying hot offensively in the first. Designated hitter Grant MacArthur took Miami starter Brian Walters deep to left for a 2-run homer, putting the Huskies on the board immediately. Despite the setback, Walters settled down and found his groove for the next few innings.
It only took an inning for the ’Canes to start fighting back, with left fielder Max Galvin launching his third homer of the year over the right field fence against UConn starter Thomas Ellisen.
His homer proved to be a spark as Miami got momentum going. Senior Derek Williams knocked a base hit through the left side, and after a Bobby Marsh hit-and-run, the Hurricanes had runners on the corners. That bit of baseball strategy ensured Tanner Smith’s single scored Williams, and Miami tied the game.
After a walk by freshman Fabio Peralta, Ogden launched a sac fly to left field to give Miami the lead, which grew to 5-2 after RBI walks from Dorian Gonzalez Jr. and Daniel Cuvet.
Similar to last Sunday’s game against Florida, UM kept the pressure on by stacking runs nearly every inning.
A pair of walks to Marsh and Smith followed by a Peralta hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for the Hurricanes, and Ogden collected his second RBI of the game with a fielder’s choice. Later that inning, Cuvet brought home two more with a single to left, extending Miami’s lead to 8-2.
After a quiet fourth inning, the bats on both sides came alive.
A walk to leadoff Rob Rispoli led to the red-hot Tyler Minick launching a homer just over Galvin’s leaping try in left field. The Huskies kept up the pressure with a pair of singles, and following a walk, Miami head coach J.D. Arteaga looked to the bullpen to save the day, bringing in veteran Carson Fischer to replace Walters.
Fischer limited the damage to only one with a sacrifice fly, but the Huskies proved they were not going to go down without a fight.
The Hurricanes followed that display with a strong fifth inning of their own. With one on, Ogden launched a double to left, followed by a Gonzalez Jr. fielder’s choice to bring in a run. Ogden eventually scored on a wild pitch before Williams lasered a double to bring in the third of the inning.
Fischer came out again for the sixth but did not fare as well as before. A hit batter, single and a 2-RBI double marked the end of his day, as Arteaga brought in right-hander Will Smith from the pen.
Once again Miami’s hitters battled for their pitchers, as Ogden launched a missile of a 2-run homer over the left field fence and onto the track field.
The Huskies stuck to their scrappy identity and tried to claw their way back.
After a pair of walks and a single given up by Smith, Arteaga brought in Lamar transfer Jackson Cleveland to limit the damage and like Fischer before, generated a sac fly to begin his outing. That breath of relief didn’t last too long, as a wild pitch and 2-run homer by MacArthur again meant UConn was only two runs away from tying the ballgame at 13 runs apiece.
UM doubled its breathing room in the bottom of the inning, with Odgen and Galvin driving home two insurance runs against the depleted Huskies (4-8) pitching staff.
Cleveland came out again for the ninth and completed a 1-2-3 inning to send ’Canes fans home happy.
Miami (12-5) will hit the road to take on the UCF Knights in a testing midweek game before it opens up ACC play against the No. 15 Wake Forest Demon Deacons.