On a frigid Sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh, the Miami Hurricane bats were on fire, run-ruling the Panthers 14-4 in seven innings.
Following a 9-4 victory for the ’Canes in game one of a day-night doubleheader on Friday, Pitt won 7-2 in the evening, forcing a rubber match game for the series.
This afternoon, every UM starter registered a hit, giving Hurricanes pitcher Tate DeRias run support in the first start of his collegiate career.
The freshman from New Jersey played well in the win. DeRias struck out five batters and surrendered four hits and one unearned run in five innings of work. Following his outing, DeRias posts a 1.37 ERA, the best among all UM pitchers.
Pitt started the game off on a fast start. In the opening frame, Ryan Zuckerman laced an RBI single past a diving Dorian Gonzalez Jr., giving the Panthers an early 1-0 lead.
That lead wouldn’t last long, as the Miami bats came alive, scoring 14 unanswered. In the third inning, with the score even at one, freshman Derek Williams lined a slow base hit up the middle, scoring Daniel Cuvet from second.
The next batter, Gonzalez, crushed Drew Lafferty’s inside fastball over the wall in right field. His 422-foot home run gave Miami a 4-1 lead.
Lafferty was hit hard by the Hurricane batters, struggling after a strong first inning. The sophomore allowed four runs on five hits, striking out two batters in three frames of work.
The bats were hot all game for the Hurricanes, scoring a run in five consecutive innings.
UM blew the game open in the fifth inning, with the score at 6-1. After a Max Galvin RBI single and RBI hit-by-pitch by Fabio Peralta, Cuvet stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs.
Cuvet lofted Daniel McAuliff’s off-speed pitch to center field, where Derrick Tarpley Jr. made a diving attempt at the ball but missed it as the ball raced to the wall. Cuvet cleared the bases but was thrown out at home plate looking for his first inside-the-park home run.
Miami’s series victory against Pitt (17-14, 4-8 ACC) was the program’s first in ACC play this season. The Hurricanes had lost the first three weekend series since ACC play began.
UM (17-16, 4-8 ACC) outscored the Panthers 25-15 this weekend, something that has been a struggle for the Hurricanes. Miami has posted the lowest on-base percentage (.356) in conference play, ranking at the bottom of the ACC in most offensive metrics.
The Hurricanes hope that the series victory against Pitt will give the team a spark as they continue the back half of the 2025 season. They will host Bethune-Cookman (16-15, 9-2 SWAC) on Wednesday, followed by a weekend series with Duke (21-12, 8-7 ACC). First pitch at Mark Light Field on Wednesday is set for 6 p.m.