Miami took two-of-three from Wake Forest this past weekend, moving the Canes to 32-18 on the season and 14-13 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Eric Erickson got Friday night’s start, where UM cruised to an 11-0 victory. Miami got fourteen hits and played error-free baseball while Wake Forest was held to one his on the evening and posted seven errors.
Erickson was a force, holding Demon Deacon batters hitless for his first six innings, retiring ten in a row, after the Canes’ explosive second inning. Miami sent eleven batters to the plate and scored eleven.
The action started after Brad Feiger and Rony Rodriguez opened things up with back-to-back singles. Michael Broad walked, which loaded the bases and Jarred Mederos singled, driving home Feiger and Rodriguez, giving the Canes an early, 2-0 lead.
Tyler Palmer reached on a error, which plated Mederos and Broad, before Garrett Kennedy advanced Palmer and reached on a clean sacrifice bunt. Stephen Perez then hit a sacrifice fly to left, bringing home Palmer.
Miami went on to add one in the fourth, two in the fifth, one in the sixth and one in the eighth, of a game that was in control from the get-go. Erickson advanced to 8-5 on the season and the Canes looked to be in full control entering Saturday’s showdown.
Unfortunately Game Two was a night where Miami bats went cold and Wake Forest benefited from the big inning, scoring six in the third. The Canes stranded baserunners in all but one inning of the 7-2 loss.
Steven Ewing got the Saturday start for UM and was good for two, but fell apart in the third, hitting his first two batters. From there, he slipped when attempting to cover first on a bunt, loading the bases. Ewing appeared to twist his ankle, but remained in the game and swiftly gave up three straight hits – including two RBI singles.
The Miami bullpen only allowed one run after Ewing’s 2.1-inning outing, with Javi Salas, Christian Diaz, Adam Sargent, E.J. Encinosa, Alexander Fernandez and AJ Salcines combining for 6.1 innings of one-run ball. Diaz gave up the run in the sixth, but Salas held everything in check with four strikeouts during his 2.1 innings. Encinosa sat down three in his 1.1 outing.
The Game Three rubber match took place Sunday and with things tied 2-2 entering the bottom of the sevenths, Miami exploded for four, behind a Feiger-fueled grand slam.
After a Perez bunt, a Dale Carey single and an error which allowed Chantz Mack to reach, the bases were loaded and the sophomore sent one over the left field wall, giving UM it’s first lead since the fourth inning.
Eric Whaley got the Sunday start and only gave up seven hits and two earned runs over six innings. He struck out four, walked one and the two runs came in the fourth when allowing a home run, follow by three back-to-back-to-back hits which tied the game.
Sargent, Diaz and Salcines then shut the door for Whaley, giving the Canes the 6-3 win and a berth in next week’s ACC Tournament. Miami won it’s fifth conference series of the season this past weekend and will look for number six after a road trip to Georgia Tech, starting this Thursday.
Before that, the final home game of the regular season when Florida Gulf Coast visits on Tuesday. The Canes and Eagles met twice this year, with Miami take game one, 3-0 and FGC taking game two, 4-2.