On a cool Friday night under the bright lights of Mark Light Field, the Miami Hurricanes pulled off an impressive opening series victory over the No. 13 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, winning 4-2. Fueled by great pitching and clutch defensive plays, UM took game one against the best team in the ACC.
Miami’s bullpen was excellent – a trend that has continued over the course of the team’s four-game winning streak. In 5.2 innings of work, Michael Fernandez, Jake Dorn, Carson Fischer and Brian Walters allowed one run on three hits, striking out three batters.
In the top of the ninth, Walters worked into trouble, letting Georgia Tech send the go-ahead runner up to the plate with two outs in the inning. Facing Vahn Lackey, Walters got the catcher to pop out to Michael Torres, ending the Yellow Jackets’ rally and completing the upset.
Miami head coach J.D. Aretaga turned the ball over to redshirt sophomore Dorn to get the last out of the seventh inning with runners on first and second with two outs in the frame. On a 2-2 count to Caleb Daniel, the left fielder lined a ball to center field but was robbed by Torres. The center fielder made an incredible diving catch to save two runs and keep the lead at three.
Miami starting pitcher Griffin Hugus battled against a Georgia Tech team that leads the ACC in batting average and on-base plus slugging (OPS). In 4.1 innings of work, the Cincinnati transfer surrendered one unearned run on four hits and four walks while striking out eight. The lefty threw 99 pitches, with 56 as strikes.
Hugus did his best impression of Harry Houdini in the fourth. After loading the bases with no one out, the Miami starter refused to falter. Hugus struck out John Giesler, Will Baker and Parker Brosius to get out of the inning unscathed.
After punching out Giesler and Baker, Hugus battled Brosius in an eight-pitch at-bat. On a 3-2 count with the bases loaded and two out, Hugus dialed up his best fastball to the top part of the strike zone, striking out Brosius to escape trouble. The junior pitcher strutted off the mound to an ovation from the Hurricane fans and players.
Hugus’ only blip came in the fifth. After the lefty walked Drew Burress, second baseman Alex Hernandez lined a single to right fielder Fabio Peralta, who misplayed the ball. Burress, the 2024 Freshman Player of the Year, took advantage of the error, flying around the bases and scoring from first.
In the bottom of the fifth, Miami third baseman Daniel Cuvet hit a 368-foot home run into the palm trees in left-center field. The sophomore slugger’s eighth long ball of the season ties Derek Williams for the team lead.
Over his last seven games, Cuvet has been playing to his freshman year form, when he was named to the All-ACC Second Team. In that span, the third baseman is 9-for-20, tallying two home runs and 12 RBIs.
Sophomore righty Tate McKee toed the slab in Coral Gables for the Yellow Jackets, throwing seven strong. On 97 pitches, the Kennesaw, Ga. native surrendered four runs, two unearned, on seven hits, striking out four and walking two. His ERA leads the Yellow Jackets’ starting pitchers at 3.46.
Miami (21-17, 7-9 ACC) struck first in the third, fueled by defensive mishaps. Following an error by Hernandez and a single from Torres, Jake Ogden stepped up to the plate with runners on first and third and one out. Ogden grounded the ball to Carson Kerce, who airmailed Alexander, letting the ball head into the outfield and scoring Peralta from third.
The next batter, Max Galvin, grounded the ball to the first baseman, Giesler, who threw it to second to get the force out. On the return throw from shortstop Kyle Codise, Galvin was called safe at first as he ran full speed into a Georgia Tech player. Both players got up and remained in the game as the RBI fielder’s choice extended Miami’s lead to two.
Miami looks to take its third consecutive conference series and fifth straight win Saturday with the second of three games against Georgia Tech (29-9, 14-5 ACC). Freshman AJ Ciscar is slated to take the bump in Coral Gables, facing junior starter Brady Jones. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.