Just a few weeks ago at Mark Light Field, Miami was down 7-6 in the bottom of the 13th inning as Alonzo Alvarez stood on second with Vance Sheahan at the plate. On a 3-1 pitch, Shehan cranked a ball over the left field wall for a walk-off home run.
Fast forward to Wednesday, March 11, the second and final matchup of the series was just as intense in Orlando.
UCF tried to get redemption in its home ballpark but Miami got a much needed 9-5 win.
Coming off a series loss to Boston College, the offense got started on a high note.
On the second pitch of the night, Jake Ogden, the leadoff man, blasted a home run over the wall in left-center to give the Hurricanes an early 1-0 lead.
UCF’s starter Camden Wicker was solid through his three innings of work, only surrendering one run on the Ogden homer and two hits while striking out three.
The Knights tied the game up in the bottom of the first on a home run from Andrew Williamson.
Miami head coach J.D. Arteaga had a short leash on freshman starter Sebastian Santos-Olson, who in his third start did not have his best stuff, giving up four hits in 1.1 innings of work.
The game became a battle of the bullpens as UCF (9-6) used a total of 10 pitchers, six of them lasting two-thirds of an inning or less. For Miami, a bullpen that was lacking consistency, it seemed to find a rhythm.
Miami’s only real mistake in relief came in the bottom of the sixth inning. With two runners on and the count at 0-1, UCF’s number nine hitter Austin Jacobs hit a three run home run to left field off Austin Peay transfer Lyndon Glidewell.
Miami won the hitting battle tallying 14 to UCF’s 12, five canes had two or more hits. First baseman Brylan West led the way with three hits.
In the fourth inning with two runners on, West laced a ball through the hole on the left side to score Daniel Cuvet from second base.
Designated hitter Alex Sosa scored on a passed ball and West touched home after a base hit from Alvarez.
The Hurricanes scored one run each in the fifth and sixth inning, Daniel Cuvet and Alvarez picked up RBIs.
Miami (13-4, 1-2 ACC) put the finishing touches on in the seventh inning. Ogden scored from second on a double from Cuvet followed by right fielder Derek Williams tacking on a key insurance run. And with the bases loaded, Alvarez drew a walk that allowed Cuvet to strut home.
Graduate pitcher Packy Bradley-Cooney threw a stellar two innings in the seventh and eighth, allowing no hits and striking out three.
The Hurricanes snapped UCF’s five game winning streak.
Miami will look to carry the momentum into its first ACC road trip of the season to Duke University in Durham, N.C.