A scoreless game for three innings, Miami got on the board with two in the top of the fourth when senior Alex San Juan fired a two-run shot over the left field wall, driving in Brad Fieger and putting the Canes up, 2-0. Fieger doubled earlier in the fourth, extending his hitting streak to nine straight games.
Florida responded in the bottom of the eighth with two of their own, tying the game going into the final inning. Some sloppy play from the Canes let the Gators back in the game, as San Juan let a ball get past him, advancing a runner, while pitcher Bryan Radziewski gave up an RBI single, tying the game.
The top of the ninth proved to be David Thompson time again as the freshman, amped up for his first shot at the hated Gators, delivered the winning hit. (Possibly channeling a little Ron Fraser magic, witnessed by the makeshift sign in the image above and the fact that The Wizard Of College Baseball was laid to rest earlier this week.)
Chantz Mack reached on a two-out single and stole second. From there, Thompson drove the senior home with a single up the middle, proving to be Thompson’s third game-winner in ten showdowns this season.
Chris Diaz went seven innings, giving up eight hits, before surrendering to Radziewski, who lasted two thirds of an inning, charged with Florida’s two runs. Eric Nedeljkovic pitched Miami out of the bottom of the eighth, earning the win, while AJ Salcines closed out the ninth, striking out one and leaving the Gators hitless.
A few gaudy stats in this much-needed win; eleven Miami hits only produced three runs. The Canes wound up stranding six runners the first four innings and ten on the game. UM also had three errors while UF was errorless.
Still, it was a win over Florida, who’s owned Miami for a good while now, and the win relieved some pressure.
“We’ve been reading about it, talking about it,” coach Jim Morris said. “It’s been tough. There’s no question. Everybody talks about it. It’s a load off our back right there. Now we need to go win the series.”
Miami and Florida will go at it again Saturday night in Gainesville with first pitch set for 7:30pm ET, with a live broadcast set for Sun Sports.
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End one losing skid, start another after winning a mere 1 game..
God I hate the Gators.
They win the first game, but fumble away the rest of the series. Morris must GO..
... and Morris isn't going to "go" anytime soon, so let's can all that gibberish a dozen games into 2013 or it's going to be a long f'n season.