Gators Continue To Dominate Canes

It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but as of now it’s fact; Florida owns Miami on the diamond.

After two straight years ended with heartbreaking, season-ending regional losses in Gainesville, the Canes (supposedly) had the Gators right where they wanted them.

Home series at A-Rod Park, two freaks-come-out-at-night 7pm ET showdowns, with both teams undefeated and looking to make the most of their first real challenge early in the 2012 season.

Florida passed with flying colors, sweeping the Canes at home, in dramatic fashion. In the other dugout, Miami now has to lick its wounds and return to the drawing board as some serious holes were exposed this weekend.

Like so many times before, Game One seemed to set the tone for the rest of the series. Miami trailed 2-0 entering the bottom of the third, but responded with a two-run home run from former Gator, Tyler Palmer, tying the game 2-2 entering the fourth.

As always, Florida stormed back, scoring one in the fourth and one in the six, sandwiching a three-run fifth that gave the Gators a 7-2 cushion.

The Canes scrapped and picked up three in the sixth, but that ended the scoring for both teams. Florida picked up the 7-5 win and Miami pitcher Eric Erickson earned his first loss of the season, allowing a season-high nine hits and six earned runs.

The bullpen delivered late, with four solid innings and only six hits and one run in that span, but the Miami bats remained silent down the stretch. Hurricane pitchers gave up fifteen hits, while Gator pitchers gave up eleven.

Saturday night proved to be a pounding, despite a 3-0 Miami lead entering the top of the fourth. Catcher Peter O’Brien crushed a two-run shot over the centerfield fence in the bottom of the first and the Canes looked ready to go toe-to-toe with an intrastate rival. O’Brien drove home another in the third, when a single to center scored Julian Santos.

Then came the top of the fourth and the Florida surge. Three in the fourth, five in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in each of the next three innings en route to a 13-5 ass-beating in front of 4,999 and the tenth-largest crowd in UM’s history.

Junior Eric Whaley got the loss, giving up ten hits and eight runs in 4.1 innings of work. The bullpen was equally as flat, allowing another five runs.

Bryan Radziewski took the mound for Sunday’s 1pm start and after Florida’s one-run second, Miami responded with three immediately. Brad Fieger opened with a single and advanced to third when Esteban Tresgallo doubled to center. Chantz Mack grounded out but moved Tresgallo to third and scored Feiger.

Steven Perez laid down a sacrifice bunt to bring home Tresgallo and a batter later Julian Santos tripled to right. Jarred Mederos singled up the middle, scoring Santos before Palmer struck out to end the inning.

Up 3-1 in the top of the third, the teams remained scoreless until trading runs in the fifth. After a scoreless sixth, the Canes and Gators each picked up another run in the seventh before another scoreless eight.

Up 5-3 Miami needed three outs in order to earn and win and to walk away winners for the first time in eleven tries against Florida. Instead, an abysmal performance and a five-run explosion for the Gators.

E.J. Encinosa set the tone walking leadoff batter Nolan Fontana. Next, Encinosa hit Daniel Pigott and advanced Fontana to second. Preston Tucker grounded out to second, advancing both runners and from there, clean-up man Mike Zunino doubled to center, cleared the bases and tied the game. He later advanced to third on a wild pitch.

After working it to a full count, Encinosa hit Taylor Gushue, putting runners at first and third. Gushue then advanced to second while Zunino scored on another wild pitch and from there, Encinosa walked Austin Maddox before finally getting pulled for Christian Diaz and giving up four. Encinosa was credited with five earned runs as Diaz took over with runners at first and second.

Diaz wound up loading the bases and added insult to injury when walking in a final run. He was pulled for Adam Sargent, who gave up a single and RBI. With an our forced at home, Sargent went on to strike out Fontana for the inning’s final out. Still, the damage was done. The Gators batted through their entire line-up, scored five, stole momentum and made the Canes pay dearly for some boneheaded mistakes.

Miami tried to rally. Carey grounded out, O’Brien walked and Feiger singled through the left side, advancing O’Brien to second and putting the tying run at the plate. Tresgallo pushed the count to 3-2 before flying out and a batter later, Mack made the least of his chance, going down swinging on a 1-2 count.

In the end, swept at home and eleven straight losses to the Florida Gators. UF solidified its stranglehold on the No. 1 ranking while the Canes will surely slide from the No. 8 slot the rode into this weekend’s showdown.

Jim Morris and staff have some work to do. The bats seemed to go silent at the most inopportune times, while the pitching was downright atrocious. With a two-run lead entering the top of the ninth at home, there is absolutely no logical scenario for a five-run inning.

A lot of baseball remains this season and after a Tuesday exhibition with the Miami Marlins, the Canes take on Miami (OH) on Wednesday before welcoming Boston College south for a three-game series next weekend. Illinois State and Central Florida on the docket next week and then a weekend road trip to Duke.

Some winnable games – on paper – before a late March / early April road trip to Clemson. There’s time to clean things up, though the sting of this loss and the Florida sweep will provide a hangover tough to shake, for fans and players alike.

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