Feb. 22, 1998
Miami Baseball Completes Sweep of Notre Dame, 17-3
CORAL GABLES, Fla. - The University of Miami baseball team completed a
three-game series sweep of Notre Dame, 17-3, breaking open a 4-1 game Sunday at
Mark Light Stadium with four runs in the sixth and nine in the seventh.
Miami (10-3)--ranked #7 in the USA Today coaches poll and as high as #2 in other
national polls--totaled 62 runs in the three games vs. the Irish, setting a team
record for runs in a three-game series (surpassing the 52 runs scored in a
Central Florida series by the 1985 Hurricanes team that went on to win the NCAA
title).
Notre Dame (2-6)--which was held to five hits vs. four Miami pitchers--trailed
just 2-1 after senior shortstop J.J. Brock parked his first home run of the
season over the leftfield fence in the top half of the fifth. Junior
centerfielder Allen Greene produced the other two Irish runs, smacking his first
home run of the season to left-center field.
Sophomore righthander David Gil (2-1) struck out seven Irish batters while
picking up the win, allowing one run on three hits and one walk over the first
six innings.
Junior righthander Alex Shilliday (1-1) took the loss, allowing seven runs (six
earned) on 12 hits and no walks over five and one-third innings, with four K's.
Miami totaled its 62 runs during the weekend on 58 hits and 22 walks while Notre
Dame managed just eight runs on 22 hits and four walks. The Hurricanes big
weekend included an .865 team slugging percentage (12 home runs, 13 doubles).
Miami's Pat Burrell opened the scoring in the second inning, when his fly ball
to left field found the swirling winds and cleared the fence for a solo home
run. The Hurricanes added a run in the fourth when Aubrey Huff--who went
5-for-5--singled, stole second and took third on catcher Jeff Wagner's bouncing
throw before scoring on a wild pitch.
The hosts went ahead 4-1 in the fifth, after a leadoff double from Kevin Brown
and Bobby Hill's two-run shot over the fence in left-center field.
Huff singled to open the sixth, as did Mike Muller, and both came home on
Brown's one-out double, ending Shilliday's day. Sophomore Scott Cavey then took
the hill, allowing RBI doubles by Russ Jacobson and Hill before getting out of
the inning.
Miami opened the seventh with five straight hits, on singles from Burrell and
Huff, a two-run double by Muller that handcuffed third baseman Brant Ust, a
run-scoring double from Manny Crespo and Brown's infield single. Freshman Aaron
Heilman then took the mound and gave up a sacrifice fly to Jacobson before
walking Hill and hitting German Alvarez with a pitch.
Bryan Seever then lifted a sacrifice fly to right field but Jeff Felker dropped
the ball, allowing Hill to score as an unearned run. Huff's ensuing two-out home
run to left-center provided three more unearned runs and a 17-1 lead.
Todd Frye opened the eighth with a pinch-hit double to left before scoring on
Green's shot to left-center.
NOTES: Miami outhit Notre Dame .460-.222 in the series ... the Irish continue to
struggle in key situations, hitting just .207 with two outs during the weekend
(to Miami's .412) and just 3-for-25 (.120) vs. the 'Canes with runners in
scoring position (to Miami's .464) ... top Irish hitters in Miami were sophomore
DH Larry Zimont (5-for-11, .455), freshman IF Ben Cooke (3-for-7, .429) and
Greene (4-for-12, .333) ... top hitters for the season include Zimont (.391),
sophomore 3B Brant Ust (.333), Wagner (.286, 1-for-9 in Miami) and Greene
(.281).
NOTRE DAME (2-6) 0-0-0 0-1-0 0-2-0 -- 3 5 2
UNIV. OF MIAMI (10-3) 0-1-0 1-2-4 9-0-X -- 17 20 1
Shilliday, Cavey (6), Heilman (7) and Wagner, Knecht (8).
Gil, Kamalsky (7), Gutierrez (8), Morrison (9) and Jacobson, Lovelady (8).
WP - Gil (2-1), LP - Shilliday (1-1).
