After an underwhelming and disappointing Game 1 of the NCAA Super Regional, falling 8-1, Miami’s backs were against the wall. It was either win and play for a shot at Omaha, or lose and go home. On Super Saturday, the Hurricanes answered in front of a full-capacity crowd at Jim Patterson Stadium, winning 9-6.
Miami, holding a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the eighth, looked for some insurance runs. With runners at first and second and one out, sophomore Daniel Cuvet dug in to the right-handed batter’s box. On a 1-0 pitch, Cuvet crushed a ball over the left-field wall and into the lawn seating, taking a 9-5 lead.
Going back to the fourth, the ’Canes put up an important four-spot in the run column. The game went from a score of 5-1 to 5-5. The bottom of the order came through, Sophomore Jake Kulikowski, making a start as the designated hitter, singled up the middle to score Derek Williams from second base. Kulikowski’s two-hit performance showed why he should be penciled into the lineup more frequently.
Staying in the fourth, freshman Michael Torres hitting in the nine-hole and junior Jake Ogden at leadoff had phenomenal performances. Torres singled to center, advancing Kulikowski to third to put runners at the corners with two outs. Ogden went on to hit a three-run blast to left field. Torres and Ogden racked up three hits each.
Louisville’s early offense came from quality at-bats, but it also wasn’t junior Griffin Hugus’s best performance on the bump. In Hattiesburg, Hugus threw a complete game but could not bring the heat to Kentucky. He went a mere three innings, giving up five and allowing four runs.
Miami scored one run in both the second and seventh innings.
In relief, Miami (35-26, 15-14 ACC) head coach J.D. Arteaga used Rob Evans, Carson Fischer, and Brian Walters. Evans only lasted two-thirds of an inning, but Fischer picked up the bullpen by going 3.1 innings. In his 10-out appearance, he only gave up one run and hit while striking out three.
Walters was called on to get the six-out save. After smooth sailing in the eighth, he ran into choppy waters while closing out the game in the ninth. He gave up a double and a single, allowing a Cardinal to score, and moved the score to 9-6. Cuvet’s three-run blast turned out to be ever so important. Walters was able to get out of the jam and close the door on Louisville (39-22, 15-15 ACC).
Miami takes the field Sunday at noon, just nine innings from Omaha — and their first College World Series trip since 2016.