Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Miami (Fla.)
Hoosiers Fall to No. 24 Hurricanes
3/4/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 4, 2006
CORAL GABLES, Fla. - In game two of a three-game weekend series, the Indiana baseball team fell to No. 24 Miami (Fla.), 7-2, before a crowd of 2,152 at Mark Light Stadium on March 4. The loss dropped the Hoosiers to 0-5 this season, and the Hurricanes improved to 11-6 overall.
After failing to cross the plate in game one, IU struck with two runs in the top of the first against UM starter Manny Miguelez (3-1). Senior left fielder Jay Brant drove a single to left field to put runners on the corners for senior designated hitter Zach Boswell.
Boswell followed with a ground ball to second baseman Jemile Weeks and when Weeks throw to second got away from shortstop Walter Diaz, Reggie Watson, who reached after getting hit-by-a-pitch, touched home and Brant advanced to third. Brant came in with the Hoosiers' second run on a dribbler back to Miguelez off the bat of sophomore shortstop Tad Reida.
However, that is all Indiana could muster the rest of the night. Miguelez dominated the final eight innings en route to his first complete game of the season. The lefty set down 25 of the final 28 batters he faced after Boswell reached and did not allow a hit following Brant's single. Overall, Miguelez surrendered one earned run on one hit with no walks and eight strikeouts.
The Hurricanes responded after the Hoosiers first-inning rally with one in the second when left fielder Dennis Raben knocked in right fielder Tommy Giles with a two-bagger into right-center field.
Hoosier miscues proved costly the next inning as Miami took advantage of two Indiana errors en route to grabbing a 4-2 lead. UM collected three unearned runs off of IU starter Josh Lewis (0-2) as right fielder Tommy Giles accounted for two of the runs with a double into the right-field corner.
An RBI base knock by center fielder Jon Jay and a two-RBI double from first baseman Yonder Alonso capped a three-run fourth and pushed the Hurricane advantage to 7-2.
Senior Clint Crosier relieved Lewis in the fifth and after the first two runners reached base, the southpaw retired the next two batters before sophomore right-hander Doug Fleenor entered the ballgame. Fleenor escaped the jam unharmed, enticing Diaz to ground out to junior third baseman Steve Head.
The first two Hurricanes reached in the sixth with nobody out when freshman left-hander Joe Vicini made his first career appearance. A passed ball moved the runners to second and third, but Vicini got Alonso to ground out and following an intentional walk to load the bases, the Rural Valley, Pa., native set down the final two batters to keep it a 7-2 ballgame.
In three innings of work, Vicini retired nine of the 10 batters he faced with the only batter reaching via the intentional walk. He also added a pair of strikeouts.
Indiana wraps up its three-game set with Miami Sunday afternoon, March 5, with a 1 p.m. (EST) first pitch. The Hurricanes will send sophomore southpaw Scott Maine (1-0, 5.68 ERA) to the hill against a pitcher to be determined for the Hoosiers.
Game Notes
-Senior Ryan Parker pinch hit for sophomore Tad Reida in the ninth for his first at-bat of the season.
-Tonight's contest was only the fifth meeting ever between the two schools.
-Freshman southpaw Joe Vicini made his first career appearance in the sixth inning.
