After a 8-1 loss yesterday, the Hurricanes headed into game two with their backs on the wall– win and you fight another day, lose and your season is over.
And like always this season, this ’Canes team found a way to answer the call, forcing a winner take all tomorrow after a 9-6 win against Louisville.
For everything that went wrong yesterday, it seemed to be flipped today. The struggles of Jake Ogden and Daniel Cuvet on Friday were wiped away by their clutch performances today, a pair of homers that truly won the game for UM today. On the pitching side it was all hands on deck, with guys like Carson Fischer and Brian Walters coming through in big spots.
Miami was first to strike with a Mikey Torres RBI single in the second, the first hit the Hurricanes had with RISP all weekend. But that momentum was short-lived as starter Griffin Hugus struggled on the bump today.
Giving up a leadoff walk in the third, Louisville did what they do best, stealing and putting pressure on the hitter. A RBI single and two-run blast later, the ’Canes found themselves down 3-1 early with the momentum all on the UL side.
The Cards continued to add pressure in the fourth with another homer, and a single to the next batter ended Hugus’ day prematurely as head coach J.D. Arteaga decided to not take any chances. Rob Evans worked through the next couple lefties before Carson Fischer was called upon in the biggest spot of the game with the bases loaded, tasked with keeping the deficit at 4-1.
And with the bases loaded, the ’Canes flipped the game on it’s head by picking off the runner at second to end the inning.
Now with the momentum, Miami began to claw back in the bottom of the inning with Jake Kulikowski rewarding the staff for his rare start with an RBI single. Torres singled again and Ogden did what Ogden does, a clutch three-run homer to put UM up 5-4.
The next two innings were shutdown from both sides, but just as Carson Fischer was about to get out of the seventh with a scoreless outing, he elevated a sinker that was tattooed to left making it a 5-5 game.
But once again this Hurricane team does not quit, as Renzo Gonzalez drove in Dorian Gonzalez to return the lead back to Miami.
Brian Walters entered the eighth to attempt a six-out save, and coasted through his opening inning.
The ’Canes rewarded him handsomely with three insurance runs courtesy of a Cuvet deep drive to left, leaving Walters with a 9-5 lead to work with.
Yet as always, no Hurricane win is straightforward. Back-to-back hits cut the lead to three, and a HBP to follow meant the tying run was at the plate for Louisville with no outs. And in Cardiac Cane fashion, even with their best hitters at the plate, Miami was able to get all three of them out to close out the 9-6 win, forcing a game three tomorrow.
This team is by no means perfect, our struggles and unpredictability have been well documented. But these guys never give up, they fight, they battle, and they give it all they have.
You don’t see many teams that make you love and hate baseball like how we do, but that’s why we love them. Win and go to Omaha tomorrow.
