The Miami Hurricanes looked up to secure a victory after a series loss to Florida State this past weekend. Everything was going well through two, with the score still at zero, when an entourage of errors and defensive mistakes occurred in the third to wipe any chance they had at winning the game. Miami went on to lose its second straight game, now 1-3 in the past four games.
Starting the midweek for the Hurricanes was graduate right-hander Reese Lumpkin. Lumpkin, making his sixth start of the year, mowed down the first six batters he faced. All changed in the top of third. After a quick strikeout, he hit Stetson (14-12, 4-2 ASUN) catcher Anthony Gonzalez and then walked the next batter. Isaiah Barkett hit a double down the left field line to score Gonzalez. Foster Apple, Stetson’s left fielder, hit a ball to sophomore Daniel Cuvet, who mis-threw the ball to first, scoring two. Lumpkin proceeded to strike out the next two batters. After three, the score was 3-0.
Lumpkin did not last two long after the third. With a pair of base runners on and no outs, Jordan Taylor bunted, and Lumpkin sailed the throw over Renzo Gonzalez’s head at first base as one runner touched home. Lumpkin’s night was finished after that, throwing three innings and giving up two hits, and five out of the six runs scored. He would also strike out five.Â
Alex Giroux happened to be the first pitcher out of the bullpen for Miami, and his outing was not pretty. He gave up a pair of singles but also had an error himself as well as R. Gonzalez. Giroux gave up two runs, zero of them earned, facing eight batters in one inning. Miami had three of its five errors in the fourth. Miami trailed by eight going into the fifth inning.Â
Stetson’s starter, senior Justin Solimine, had a spectacular start, only giving up one hit in three innings of work. Despite the great production from Solimine, Stetson decided to use the bullpen for the rest of the game.
Solimine’s only hit given up happened to be to freshman center fielder Fabio Peralta. Peralta has been hot as of late and is fueling this inconsistent Miami offensive. He would single to right center again in the eighth and pick up his fifth hit in two games. He now has a team-leading .379 batting average.
One of Miami’s two runs came off a towering 388 foot blast off the bat of Derek Williams to left field in the fifth inning. Williams’s fifth home run of the year moved Miami to within seven, down 8-1.
Three freshmen came out of the ’pen for the Hurricanes. Michael Fernandez, Tate Derias, and Lazaro Collera pitched a combined three innings in relief. DeRias’s performance was the most impressive, retiring four batters in a row.
An unexpected move came in the top of the ninth when Miami (14-12, 1-5 ACC) was down 11-2. The usual Friday starter, sophomore Nick Robert, came in to pitch in relief. He allowed one hit while striking out two. This could hint at a change in the starting rotation as Miami hits the road this weekend.
Miami will head to the great state of North Carolina for the second time in three weeks, this time to the University of North Carolina. The first game of the series is scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m.