Feb. 21, 1998
Miami Again Pounds Notre Dame Baseball
CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Manny Crespo and Pat Burrell
smacked grand slam home runs in the second inning
as Miami continued its domination of visiting Notre Dame,
27-2, in the second game of a three-game weekend series
Saturday at Mark Light Stadium.
Miami (9-3)--ranked #7 in the USA Today coaches poll and
as high as #2 in other national polls--came within one
run of equaling the team record, set in a 1985 win over
Central Florida (28-5). The Hurricanes also came one run
short of the record for runs by a Notre Dame opponent, set
by Western Michigan in 1988 (a 28-10 home win).
The 25-run margin equals the Miami record set in a 1996 win
over Barry (25-0) and represents the biggest margin of
defeat in Irish history, surpassing a 21-0 loss to Illinois
in 1950.
Miami pounded out 22 hits, with 15 of their runs coming on six
home runs. Miami used runs in each of the first five innings
to build a 22-0 lead, jumping ahead 16-0 after 11 runs in the
second. The hosts saw 14 of their 16 batters record a hit,
highlighted by Crespo's 3-for-4, 7-RBI night. The potent
Miami offense has totaled 32 home runs in 12 games while
compiling a .345 team batting average and a .561 team slugging
percentage.
Notre Dame (2-5) scored only twice Saturday while stranding
six runners. The Irish are hitting just .261 for the season
but are faring even worse with two outs (.171) and with
runners in scoring position (.220).
Junior righthander Darryl Roque (2-0) picked up the victory,
tossing five shutout innings while allowing four hits and
one walk, with five strikeouts. Junior righthander Brad Lidge (0-2)
was able to record just four outs, allowing nine runs (all earned)
on five hits and five walks.
The first two innings took nearly an hour, with three walks
and two-run hits from Mike Muller and Russ Jacobson providing
a 5-0 lead before Miami sent 15 batters to the plate in the second
against Lidge and freshman Danny Tamayo. Aubrey Huff's two-run
double off Lidge pushed Miami ahead 7-0 and Tamayo walked
Muller to load the bases before Crespo smacked his second home
run of the season over the leftfield fence.
Tamayo then walked Russ Jacobson and struck out Charlton Jimerson
before Bobby Hill reached on an infield single, when shortstop
J.J. Brock bounced a throw that pulled Dan Leatherman off first
base. A balk and walk by German Alvarez loaded the bases before
Jason Michaels was credited with an infield single when Brock
slipped trying to field his grounder in the hole. Burrell capped
the inning with his eighth home run of the season, a four-run
blast over the scoreboard in left field.
Hill's first home run of the season brought home two runs in the
third and Alvarez followed seconds later with his third home run
of the season.
Sophomore lefthander Tim Kalita took the mound in the fourth but
the 'Canes used four hits to add two more runs for a 21-0 lead.
Miami added a single run in the fifth and five more in the seventh,
sparked by Crespo's second homer, a two-run shot to left field.
Chris Klute the tripled vs. Kalita and pinch-hitter Frank Fleizach
greeted freshman Aaron Heilman with his first home run of the season
on a blast over the rightfield fence.
The Irish scored twice in the sixth vs. freshman righthander Tom
Farmer, behind Alec Porzel's leadoff double, a walk by Brant Ust,
a balk, Brock's RBI groundout and an error by backup third baseman
Kevin Brown.
NOTRE DAME (2-5) 0-0-0 0-0-2 0-0-0 -- 2 7 0
UNIV. OF MIAMI (9-3) 5-11-3 2-1-0 5-0-x -- 27 22 1
Lidge, Tamayo (2), Kalita (4), Heilman (7) and Wagner, Knecht (6).
Roque, Farmer (6), Prendes (7), Howell (8), Morrison (9) and Jacobson, Lovelady (6).
WP - Roque (2-0)
LP - Lidge (0-2)
