Miami Hurricanes supply offense, but suffer first loss of year

UM used seven pitchers in Sunday's loss to Manhattan in the weekend series finale. `When you score seven runs, you've got to win,' Hurricanes coach Jim Morris said.

BY JUDY ERWIN, Miami Herald
 
The University of Miami sent seven pitchers to the mound in Sunday's series finale against Manhattan.

But none of them could stop the potent Jasper offense, as Manhattan avoided the sweep, defeating the Hurricanes 12-7 at Alex Rodriguez Park. The loss was the first of the season for the 10th-ranked Hurricanes.

After two nights of struggling offensively, Manhattan's bats came alive in Sunday's afternoon game. The Jaspers (1-2) belted a dozen hits through the first five innings, which was two more than they had in the previous two nights combined.

UM starter Jason Santana had a less-than-stellar performance, giving up six runs on nine hits to take the loss. He was relieved by Daniel Miranda, who also struggled. He gave up two hits and walked two against the four batters he faced.

``When you score seven runs, you've got to win,'' Hurricanes coach Jim Morris said. ``The majority of the guys did not throw good. We didn't play good as a team [Sunday].''

Eric Whaley, the third Hurricane to pitch in the fourth inning, gave up one hit before getting out of the inning. But the Jaspers scored seven runs to take a 9-2 lead.

The Hurricanes (5-1) bounced back though. In the fifth inning, Scott Lawson and David Villasuso went deep to cut the Jaspers' lead to four runs.

After leadoff batter Zeke DeVoss was hit by a pitch, Lawson made Manhattan pay by blasting a line drive over the right-field wall. Villasuso's home run, his third of the season, was hit the other way, clearing the left-field wall.

The Canes were also productive in the sixth inning. With Chris Pelaez and Michael Broad on base, Rony Rodriguez hit a shot up the middle.

Both runners scored, making the score 9-7.

But after Whaley was removed after 2 1/3 innings, things went south again.

Iden Nazario gave up three runs on two hits while recording just one out. E.J. Encinosa followed, giving up a double and a walk before being replaced by Sam Robinson, who got the Canes out of the inning. Freshman Jerad Grundy closed out the game for UM, giving up two hits and striking out two in two innings.

Despite scoring 32 runs during the weekend, Morris was not pleased after Sunday's loss. ``You've got to sweep at home,'' he said. ``You can split on the road. But at Miami, you've got to sweep.''

Steven Perez (Miami Gulliver Prep) had his first multihit game with three singles in the loss.

Austin Sheffield, his former teammate at Gulliver, led the Manhattan offense with three doubles and three RBI.