Midweek games have been an unusual hardship this season for Miami baseball. Last week they were blown out at home by Stetson Hatters, 11-2, and last Wednesday turned out to be a similar outcome with the Hurricanes once again getting blown out at home, this time against the FIU Panthers, 10-2.
The game seemed to be over almost as soon as it started. Miami’s starting pitcher, graduate student Reese Lumpkin, had probably the worst day at the office that a starter could have. FIU had his number the entire first inning. Lumpkin struck out the first batter he faced, but things just fell apart from there. The next five straight batters all got on base, either in forms of hits or walks. In total, Lumpkin faced eight batters in the first inning, he struck out two, but one walked, two singled and three doubled. After the final double by FIU freshman Cole Cleveland made the score 5-0, Lumpkin’s night was over as he taken out for freshman Lazaro Collera. It was a day to forget for Lumpkin as not even surviving the first inning is a nightmare for starting pitchers. Collera was able to get the final out of the inning via a grondout to the shortstop and the ’Canes looked to fight back to the early hole that had been dug.
No answer came in the first for the Hurricanes, but they were able to lessen the deficit in the bottom of the second. Team captain Dorian Gonzalez Jr. started things off with a solo homerun to bring the score to 5-1. The offense seemed to be getting in rhythm after the Gonzalez Jr. homer as the next three batters got on base. Freshman Ethan Puig started it off with a walk and he eventually made it to third after a wild pitch and single by senior Tanner Smith. Finally, freshman speedster Michael Torres hit one the shortest singles of the season to bring his fellow freshman to make the score 5-2. After the run, FIU made a pitching change and then proceeded the get the next two ’Canes batters out to finish the inning.
The Panthers took one of those two runs back in the next inning with a solo shot by senior Javier Crespo to bring their lead up to 6-2. After the homerun by Crespo, both teams’ offenses went silent as the next innings were scoreless. The next run would not come until the ninth inning when FIU decided to tack on some more runs for good measure at the end.
The top of the ninth was a rough inning for the Miami reliever Jackson Cleveland. In total, he gave up two hits, two walks and four runs in the inning as FIU increased their lead to 10-2. Besides a Gonzalez Jr. walk, Miami did nothing in the bottom of ninth and Miami’s terrible night came to an end with a 10-2 FIU victory.
After the loss, Miami baseball moves to 15-15 on the season.