There are few feelings greater than watching your favorite team pull out a close game, whether that be watching a last second game-winning shot or a walk-off home run in extra innings.
How about both in one night? How about watching both of them in-person in a span of a half hour?
That’s what Miami Hurricanes sports fans experienced in Coral Gables this past Tuesday night.
First pitch of the Hurricanes baseball game against UCF started at 6 p.m., while the basketball team hosted Virginia Tech with tip-off two hours later.
The basketball team came into the game with a 20-5 record, coming off wins against No. 11 UNC and a one-point comeback victory on the road against NC State. Naturally, a home basketball game as the hottest team in the ACC drew more fans than a mid-week baseball game in late February.
The Canes baseball team found themselves in a 5-0 deficit entering the bottom of the eighth inning, while the hoops game had turned into a tight back-and-fourth affair.
Many fans started to leave Mark Light Field to catch the end of a thriller at the Watsco Center. But just as fans started to head across campus, Jake Ogden sent a ball over the fence for the Hurricanes, cutting the deficit to three entering the ninth.
“I was thinking of leaving for the basketball game,” freshman student Adam Wilson said. “But I knew there would be a crazy comeback if I left, so I decided to stay for the last couple of innings.”
Those “couple” innings ended in a 13-inning, five hour marathon.
The ninth inning held more magic for the Canes fans who decided to stick it out. Three batters were hit by pitches to load the bases. The next batter, Vance Sheahan, was then nicked on the elbow, sending in a run.
Down to their last out, Michael Torres laced a single into left field, scoring two runs to tie the game and sending the game into extra innings.
As the game went into extras, basketball entered crunch time at the Watsco Center.
With five minutes left, the score was locked at 59. As the Hokies seemed to start pulling away, a three-pointer from Tre Donaldson tied it up once again at 66 with 1:18 to go.
Over at Mark Light, the Hurricanes found themselves in a hole once again entering the bottom of the 11th. Down one with two outs, star third baseman Daniel Cuvet was down in the count 0-2.
After having a slow start in the first series against Lehigh, Cuvet lived up to his Preseason First-Team All-American potential, tattooing a game-tying 435-foot solo home run to left center field. Cuvet’s second home run of the season extended the game once more.
As the game rolled into the 12th inning, the Hurricanes had possession at the Watsco Center with 15 seconds to go. The ball was in the hands of Donaldson, who scored a career-high 32 points on the night. As he drove to his right, he was hit hard by Tobi Lawal, drawing a crucial foul.
The crowd went silent as Donaldson went to the free throw line with 12 seconds on the clock. After nailing the first one, his second shot rimmed out, giving the Hokies a chance.
With four seconds left, Ben Hammond drove to the lane, tossing up a desperate layup, which bounced around the hoop before finally rolling out. The crowd erupted as the Canes had earned themselves a huge one-point win.
At the same time, Canes baseball entered the 13th inning against the Knights.
Fans poured into the stadium, coming straight over from the Watsco Center. Ponce De Leon Parking Garage, which overlooked the stadium, filled with Hurricanes fans. After a UCF run was scored, fans jeered for the Canes, trying to power them to another come-from-behind win.
Fueled by the revived energy of the crowd, Alonzo Alvarez smacked a double into right field, bringing up Sheahan with a chance to win it.
With fans leaning over the rails from the parking lot, and the student section looking bigger than it had all year, Sheahan launched a ball deep to left field through the muggy Miami air.
Fans erupted as the ball pinged off the scoreboard, giving The U their second dramatic victory within 30 minutes.
For a school criticised for lack of sports spirit, the Canes crowd certainly showed it on a historic Tuesday night.
