On Easter Sunday, the Hurricanes came to play. Miami was electric on both sides of the ball in a 10-2 win that capped off the series sweep. It’s safe to say Georgia Tech won’t be the No. 13 team in the country for long — Miami stung the Yellow Jackets from start to finish.
Miami’s new look weekend rotation has been rolling the past few weekends, and it continued on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Freshman Tate DeRias toed the slab for the Hurricanes, throwing 5.1 innings, matching fellow freshman AJ Ciscar’s performance on Saturday.
Despite running into a bit of trouble in his 4th and 5th innings of work, DeRias allowed one run in each of those innings off three hits. He was lights out in the first three frames, retiring the side in order. In his longest outing of the season, he picked up his second win.
Freshman Alex Hernandez was the biggest threat on Georgia Tech’s (29-11,14-7 ACC) side. After picking up two hits on Saturday, he picked up two more on Sunday. One of the hits came off DeRias in the fourth inning.
It’s safe to say iIt wasn’t a fun day for the Yellow Jackets’ starting pitcher, Caden Spivey. He came into the game sporting a 2.55 ERA, but after Miami was done with the junior righty, his ERA skyrocketed to 5.34.
The bats were on fire right out of the gate for Miami. Jake Ogden had a leadoff double, followed by a Max Galvin single, which put runners on the corners for Daniel Cuvet. Cuvet lined a ball up the middle to score for Ogden.
The top of the lineup has been stellar for Miami; the first three hitters in the order each picked up a pair of hits.
With one out in the bottom of the first, Miami’s offense continued to roll. Senior Dorian Gonzalez Jr tapped the ball to the third base side for a sacrifice bunt. Catcher Tanner Smith then joined the first-inning fun, sending a ball over the left field wall for a three-run blast.
With one out and Galvin on in the second inning, Cuvet singled to left center to score one more. Through two innings, the ’Canes had a 5-0 lead and ended Spivey’s day after a mere two innings pitched.
It didn’t matter who was pitching for Georgia Tech in the early innings; Miami did damage. Tennessee native Mason Patel decided to be a part of some history. With Evan Tavares on second and Renzo Gonzalez on first, freshman Michael Torres was up to bat. On the 1-1 pitch, Torres crushed a ball to left field, sending it just over the wall for his first collegiate home run.
Miami (24-17, 9-9 ACC) went on to score two unearned runs in the fourth. After four, the score was 10-1, and its offense production stopped the rest of the game.
Recently, the Hurricanes’ bullpen has been lights out. Graduate Carson Fischer has stepped up after a lackluster start to the season. He pitched 2.2 innings and struck out one. Fischer also appeared in Friday’s game, where he went on to throw two innings and gave up no runs.
In the top of the 8th with Fischer still on the mound, freshman Caleb Daniel sent a ball on a rope to right field, ranging towards the right was freshman Fabio Peralta to make a spectacular diving grab. Peralta’s catch potentially saved an extra base hit and allowed Fischer to walk away without allowing a hit.
Miami head coach J.D. Arteaga called on Jackson Cleveland to get the final three outs of the inning. Cleveland, making his first appearance since last Friday against Duke, got the job done. Georgia Tech’s pinch hitter, Nathan Waugh, hit into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.
The Hurricanes are on a roll, winning six straight games and sweeping one of the best teams in the country. They look to extend their win streak to seven when they face off against its cross-town rival, FIU, on the road. First pitch is scheduled for Wednesday at 6 p.m.