March 18, 2009

Miami 11, UMBC 1

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - For the second straight game, the fourth-ranked University of Miami baseball team cruised past its mid-week opponent, taking an 11-1 victory over UMBC Wednesday night at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.

Miami (16-3) jumped out early and never looked back, scoring three in the first and five more in the second to get out to a comfortable 8-0 lead after two. From there, the `Canes added two more runs in the fourth and fifth while UMBC scored its lone run in fifth.

UM has now won 10 of its last 11 games heading into this upcoming weekend series at No. 7 Virginia. With the loss, UMBC drops to 2-7 overall.

UM Starter Jason Santana improved to 3-0 on the season, allowing just one run on three hits in five innings of work. Santana, who was making his first start of the year, did not walk a batter and struck out four, facing just three batters over the minimum. In relief of Santana, John Housey, Rene Guerra, Sam Robinson and Travis Miller each tossed a scoreless inning.

Batting lead-off for the second consecutive game, junior Scott Lawson went 4-for-5, was hit by a pitch and scored three of UM's 11 runs. Hitting behind Lawson, Ryan Jackson finished 2-for-3 with a homer, three RBI and two runs scored while Jason Hagerty (2-for-4, two runs), Dave DiNatale (2-for-3, two RBI) and Harold Martinez (2-for-3, one RBI, one run) all finished the night with multiple hits.

For the second straight day, Jackson smacked a two-run shot in the bottom of the first inning, hitting a shot off the scoreboard in left. Three batters later, DiNatale singled home Chris Herrmann to put the `Canes up 3-0 after one.

In the bottom of the second, four UM hits, a walk and a UMBC error led to a five-run inning that put UM up eight.

Ed Bach suffered the loss for the Retrievers, allowing four earned runs on nine hits in four innings. Bryan Russo accounted for UMBC's lone run with his fifth inning solo homer. Russo finished the game 1-for-3.

Miami will make its first ACC road trip of the season this weekend as the `Canes travel to Charlottesville, Va. to take on the seventh-ranked Cavaliers, March 20-22, at Davenport Field. Game one of the three-game series is slated for 6 p.m. Friday night.

Game Notes
- Jason Santana made his first start of the season and his first since starting against Cornell on March 18, 2008.
- Freshman Ted Blackman made his first career start as a Hurricane, batting ninth and playing rightfield. It also marked the first time in 19 games that Dave DiNatale did not start in right. DiNatale instead started as the team's designated hitter.
- Freshman Thomas Powers recorded his first career hit as a Hurricane in his first career at-bat, hitting an infield single to third.
- Miami has now won 10 of its last 11 games.
- Miami has now won its last five mid-week games.
- Scott Lawson's four-hit performance was just the second by a Hurricane this season. Dave DiNatale's 4-for-6 performance at Florida on March 1 was the first by a `Cane this season.
- UM finished the night with 15 hits, four walks, a hit-by-pitch and only one strikeout.
- Scott Lawson hit his first career triple as a Hurricane in the fifth inning.