UM begins Arteaga era with dramatic rally, walk-off win
It couldn’t be any sweeter for the Miami Hurricanes to get a taste of the Mark Light magic and their first victory under new head coach J.D Arteaga, than with a walk-off.
In front of an announced crowd of 3,068 fans at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field, the Canes were able to deliver the first victory of the J.D. Atreaga era as the Hurricanes defeated the visiting New Jersey Institute of Technology
Highlanders 8-7 in walk-off fashion.
After a perfectly executed bunt from captain Dorian Gonzalez Jr., the bases were loaded for catcher Carlos Perez to be the hero. A single to left field sent Gonzalez home and the ‘Canes to victory.
“Feels great, we got the [win],’’ Perez said.
The tenacity of this team was on full display tonight. A Blake Cyr moonshot to deep center field brought the ‘Canes within one in the bottom of the seventh. The late offense would not stop there as Hialeah’s own sophomore Jason Torres’s sacrifice fly allowed Jacoby Long to score from home and tie the game at seven all.
Miami started the game in tremendous fashion. Starter Gage Ziehl struck out six of the first nine batters he faced en route to a rocky debut. While the first three innings of Ziehl’s season went well, in the next two the New York native allowed a combined seven runs.
Reliever Julian Hernandez was able to give Miami two scoreless innings in his debut. The former Miami-Dade transfer guided Miami through the middle innings in relief of Ziehl.
The Canes bats were firing early, as they were able to load the basses in both of the first two innings.
Gonzalez Jr. got the scoring started with a bases-clearing double to make it 3-0 Miami. Lorezno Carrier gets Miami’s first home run of the season in
the bottom of the third to extend the Hurricane lead to five.
NJIT pulled their starter Aaron Kidd who threw 73 pitches and allowed five runs through 2 2⁄3 innings. Senior Drew Standen filled in for the Highlanders and the Miami bats went quiet.
NJIT opened up its scoring with a pair of homers in the top of the fourth.
The leadoff hitter Albert Choi sent a solo shot just past the scoreboard in left field, and then cleanup hitter Kevin Putsky delivered a three-run shot that just snuck by the right field foul pole. Those two homers brought the Highlanders
within one run. In the top of the fifth,
NJIT was able to do more damage.
Once again with the heart of their lineup, the Highlanders got to Ziehl. Senior Ray Ortiz got the scoring started with a double that tied the game at five.
One wild pitch from
Ziehl later, and the Canes were facing a deficit for the first time.
Miami has its relief pitching to thank as freshman Nick Robert and seventh-year senior Drew Dwyer snuffed the Highlanders’ bats late in the game to give UM a chance to walk it off in the ninth.
The Hurricanes continue their opening weekend series against NJIT with a doubleheader on Saturday. The first game is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.