On a chilly Friday night celebrating military service members, 3,027 fans packed Mark Light Field for an ACC showdown between the No. 13 North Carolina State Wolfpack and the red-hot Miami Hurricanes. In a wild game that featured a go-ahead steal of home, the Hurricanes secured their ninth-straight conference win, defeating NC State 6-4.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Evan Taveras stepped up to the plate. As the count reached 1-2, Miami shortstop Jake Ogden broke from third and caught the NC State defense off guard. Pitcher Dominic Fritton reacted too late, and Ogden slid in safely, giving Miami a 5-4 lead. The UNC Greensboro transfer sprinted to the dugout, greeted by a roar from teammates and fans.
Sophomore third baseman Daniel Cuvet put on a show for the Hurricane faithful, continuing his dominant second half of the season. In the bottom of the first, Cuvet hit a 414-foot two-run home run, 111 mph off the batter’s eye in center field. In his next at-bat, he did it again, this time a towering two-run home run off the light pole in left field. Cuvet’s 11th and 12th long balls of the season were responsible for four of the ’Canes six runs.
In the top of the ninth, Miami head coach J.D. Arteaga gave the ball to closer Brian Walters. With a runner on third and two outs, Walters struck out Matt Ossenfort swinging to seal the win. The redshirt junior let out a scream as he walked off the mound and embraced catcher Tanner Smith amid cheers from the crowd.
Since moving to the bullpen, the Eastern Florida State transfer has been dominant, throwing 11.1 innings while allowing just one run and striking out nine. He now leads the Hurricane pitchers with seven saves on the season.
Alex Giroux, Carson Fischer and Walters got the final 13 outs against the Wolfpack offense. In relief, the three pitchers surrendered no runs on three hits.
Cuvet has one of Miami’s most dangerous bats since ACC play began. Since the Wake Forest series in mid-March, the Fort Lauderdale, Fla. native is batting .336 with eight home runs and 42 RBIs. Entering Friday’s game, Cuvet was fourth in the conference in RBIs with 52.
He added insurance in the seventh inning with a sacrifice fly that pushed the lead to 6-4. Max Galvin, Ogden and Cuvet, the Hurricanes’ top of the order, went 7-for-11, hitting four extra-base hits and being responsible for all six runs.
Right-hander Griffin Hugus got the start for the Hurricanes (28-18, 13-9 ACC). The Cincinnati transfer battled against a solid Wolfpack offense. In 5.1 innings of work, the Friday starter surrendered four runs on eight hits, striking out four and walking two. Hugus’s ERA is sitting at 3.68 for the season.
Hugus worked himself into trouble in the fourth. With one out in the inning, the Wolfpack had runners on second and third. NC State second baseman Luke Nixon lined an RBI single to left field, cutting the deficit to two.
Two batters later, Drew Lanphere grounded the ball to Ogden. The shortstop went to third looking for the lead runner but made a poor throw that got past Cuvet. Two runs scored on the error, tying the game at four. The Wolfpack were unable to score after the fourth.
Fritton took the mound for the Wolfpack (30-14, 15-7 ACC). The lefty junior got hit hard by the UM bats. In 6.1 innings, Fritton gave up six runs on nine hits, striking out eight.
Following Friday’s victory, the Hurricanes have won 10 of their last 11 games, including nine straight in conference play. The last time UM lost a conference game was April 12 against Duke.
NC State loses its first road game since March 30, when the Wolfpack lost 16-6 in Durham against Duke.
Miami looks to take its fifth-straight ACC series on Saturday against NC State. Freshman AJ Ciscar is set to take the bump for the Hurricanes against sophomore righty Heath Andrews. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.