This might be just what the doctor ordered. That shot in the arm needed to wake up a great team that at best, has looked merely ‘good’ in a handful of their past outings after being the most dominant team the majority of this season.
The Miami Hurricanes found themselves in a back-and-forth struggle with a Georgia Tech team they owned just over a month ago.
The Canes jumped out to a 4-0 lead after three innings. The Yellow Jackets tied it up after their third time at bat and went ahead 5-4 after four. A two-run fifth made it 6-5, Canes and a four-run sixth gave Miami a 10-5 cushion.
Back stormed the other guys with four runs of their own, cutting The U’s lead. 10-9.
Miami answered with one in the seventh. Georgia Tech scored three in the eight, for a 12-11 lead. Three outs from a win, this one could’ve been all but over.
Fat chance.
The Canes rallied for four more in the ninth, took a 15-12 lead and never looked back, sending the Yellow Jackets down in order in the bottom of the ninth.
Thursday’s showdown was not only filled with drama, but also the gritty, high octane, never say die type of baseball this Canes squad needs to reach Omaha. When this season is all said and done, it could be this 15-12 victory that defines the postseason – though Miami still needs to tighten up some aspects of their game if that’s to be a reality.
Miami could’ve quit. It didn’t. The Canes could’ve reached Sunday’s title game without beating the Jackets, but no one wanted to go out like that – letting doubt set in this late in the season.
Georgia Tech saved their ace David Duncan and Miami ran the southpaw from Jacksonville back to Atlanta, tattooing him for 10 hits and leaving him responsible for 10 of the 15 runs in 5.2 innings pitched.
The bats finally woke up as Miami had 15 hits – six of which were home runs. Yonder Alonzo hit his ACC leading 20th and 21st bombs of the year, while Dave DiNatale went yard in the sixth and stroked the game winner in the top of the ninth, tying him with Alonzo with four RBI on the day.
The Canes were clutch several times, rallying for runs with two outs. A three-run third inning came on the heels of a DiNatale ground out and a Yasmani Grandal foul out. Blake Tekotte roped a single, behind 1-2 in the count and Jemile Weeks drove him home with a two-strike triple. A batter later, Alonzo went yard.
A similar scenario in the fifth with Grandal and Tekotte going down 1 and 2. Weeks worked the count to 3-2 and walked before Alonzo stroked another, giving the Canes two runs with two outs.
In the seventh, another two-out rally as DiNatale hit a two run shot and a batter later Grandal sent his lone hit of the day over the center field wall. Tekotte bunted his way to first, stole second and third and eventually scored on a wild pitch.
9 of Miami’s 15 runs were scored with two outs -and still level seven on base.
Georgia Tech isn’t the caliber of team Miami will see in a Super Regional or in Omaha, should they get there – but that’s not the point. The style of baseball played against the Yellow Jackets is the key here. Clutch hits. Going yard multiple times. Several two-out rallies.
All that said, this was hardly a flawless game and there are several things these Canes need to clean up before the regionals. Giving up 17 hits to Georgia Tech is unacceptable in post-season play.
Eric Erickson was worked for nine hits and responsible for five runs in 3.1 innings, while David Gutierrez gave up four hits and three runs in two innings pitched. Kyle Bellamy was rocked for a homer on his second pitch and gave up two runs in 1.2 innings pitched, while Carlos Gutierrez gave up two of his own in his two innings on the mound.
All four Miami pitchers combined only amassed six strikeouts and need to step up their game as the postseason continues.
The Canes weren’t flawless on Thursday, but one stat sticks out more than the rest – the ‘W’ in the win column as well as the fact a ninth inning rally proved to be the difference maker. As for credit where credit is due, C. Gutierrez gave up one hit in the bottom of the ninth and solid defense got Miami out of the inning, securing the win.
Next up, a N.C. State team Miami hasn’t seen since mid-March, where the Canes rolled 12-5 in game won and squeaked out a 2-1 game two win before falling 11-10 in the series finale.
The fourth-seeded Wolfpack have come on strong, smacking up Clemson 10-0 today after falling 10-9 to Georgia Tech earlier in the tourney. They went 7-5 down the stretch, but scored 19 runs in two games in Jacksonville.
While Miami is the team to beat, no remaining ACC game is a gimmie and these Canes still have some glaring flaws as the post season rolls on. The Canes and Wolfpack are battling it out for a slot in Sunday’s title game, so expect some fireworks.
Tomorrow will tell if Thursday’s comeback was a sign of things to come, or simply a great rally with a lot on the line.