Friday, May 31, 2002

Miami holds FIU in check in the Gainesville Regional opener, 9-1

efending national champion Miami (31-26) defeated Florida International (41-19), 9-1 in the opening game of the NCAA Tournament at the Gainesville Regional in front of announced crowd of 1,120 at McKethan Stadium-Perry Field. The game was delayed in the fifth inning for 3 hours and 35 minutes because of rain as the Hurricanes advanced to the winner's bracket Saturday afternoon. The Golden Panthers will face the loser of the Florida/Bethune-Cookman tomorrow at 12pm. FIU is 0-4 all-time in NCAA Regional games versus Miami. The two teams have split the four games this season.

FIU starter Josh Banks allowed six earned runs, the most allowed in any start of his two-year career at FIU. Miami scored five runs in the fourth to blow open the game as Hurricane starter Dan Touchet pitched four effective innings while Vince Bongiovanni picked up his first career win in the relief. The Golden Panthers entered the NCAA tournament ranked fifth in the country with a team batting average of .341, however FIU was only able to scatter four hits across the Miami pitchers.

Miami jumped out to the early lead in the first inning with a run. Paco Figueroa reached when FIU second baseman Skip Adams dropped a routine pop-up and scored on a RBI double by Kevin Howard to right center field.

In the second Bernie Gonzalez led off with a double to left field but was stranded there as Touchet struck out Tommy Duenas and Hector Nunez and got S. Adams to foul out to Hurricane first baseman Matt Dryer.

The Hurricanes increased their lead to 2-0 in the third when Danny Figueroa led off with a walk and scored on Javy's Rodriguez' RBI double to left center.

In the fourth Miami erupted for five runs knocking Banks out of the game. Danny Matienzo led off the fourth with a solo home run to right field, his 15th on the season. After Banks got Jim Burt to ground out to shortstop and Matt Dryer to fly out to right field, the Hurricanes scored four more runs. Kevin Mannix scored on a P. Figueroa RBI single and with the bases loaded Banks walked Rodriguez bringing in D. Figueroa for the fifth run.

The Hurricanes scored their final two runs of the inning when Howard hit an infield single scoring P. Figueroa and Brad Safchik. Banks was replaced by Derek Taylor. Banks finished pitching 3.2 innings allowing six earned runs on five hits while striking out four and walking four.

The game was stopped for 3 hours and 35 minutes due to rain in the bottom of the fifth inning. Touchet finished pitching four innings allowing no runs on two hits.

Miami added to their lead with two more runs in the eighth. Richard Gianotti scored when FIU catcher Adrian Casanova overthrew second base on an attempted steal and D. Figueroa came in when Rodriguez grounded into a 6-4-3 double play with the bases loaded.

In the eighth, Nunez ended the Golden Panthers scoreless drought with a solo home run to right field, his ninth of the season, to close the lead to 9-1. That was the closest FIU would get as Miami held for the 9-1 win.

"Give Miami credit, they pitched well and hit the timely hits when needed. We didn't play well today but I am still proud of my team. We just need to come out tomorrow and put it all together. Every team is here for the prize, the prize that everyone has prepared for all year long,"said head coach Danny Price.

Senior first baseman Brad Eldred was selected the seventh Collegiate Baseball/Rawlings All-American when he was announced to the second team earlier today. Eldred entered the weekend second in the country with 29 home runs and was recently invited to participate in the Home Run Challenge at the College World Series on June 13 on ESPN at 9pm.

Sophomore Arthur Santos (2-4) will start for the Golden Panthers in the loser's bracket tomorrow at 12pm. FIU will play the loser of Game 4 if the Golden Panthers are able to win Game 3.