For the second weekend in a row, the Miami Hurricanes baseball team swept their opponent and in the process won their 18th game in their last 20 tries.
Last week’s victim was the Clemson Tigers. It was the North Carolina Tar Heels this time around as Miami recorded wins on Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday afternoon.
Thomas Woodrey (3-2) helped pitch Miami to a 10-4 victory in game one of the series. The senior went seven innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs. It was Woodrey’s first win since a March 4 contest with Manhattan.
Six ‘Canes finished the game with multiple hits as Miami finished with 15 in all. An early 1-0 deficit was erased in the bottom of the second inning on a Carl Chester RBI single.
The 1-1- tie would last until Miami put four runs up on the scoreboard in the fifth. The inning could have been even larger had Miami not left the bases loaded to end the inning.
Three runs in the sixth and two in the eighth finished the job for the ‘Canes.
Game two saw Miami go behind early for the second night in a row before coming back to win 7-3. ‘Canes starter Michael Mediavilla (5-0) allowed two runs in the top of the second on a home run and sacrifice fly, both to right field.
It took only until the bottom of the third for Miami to break the game open.
First-baseman Christopher Barr singled in two runs before shortstop Brandon Lopez doubled in three. Lopez led all batters with 3 hits on the day, going 3-4.
Mediavilla kept the Tar Heels off the board for five innings until he allowed a home run in the eighth. Mediavilla stayed in for one more batter but hit him on a full count pitch, prompting coach Jim Morris to replace him with righty Frankie Bartow.
Bartow retired two in a row to end the inning and the last Tar Heel scoring threat.
The second-straight Sunday Sweep was capped with a 7-4 come-from-behind victory, the third in as many days for the ‘Canes.
Once again, North Carolina got the scoring started in the second inning, scoring three runs on Miami starter Danny Garcia (no decision).
The Miami hitters were kept at bay through four innings. The ‘Canes claimed the lead with a five run fifth and didn’t look back.
Left-fielder Jacob Heyward hit a bases loaded double to center field that drove in a pair to score Miami’s first runs of the day. Heyward advanced to third on a wild pitch – Barr scored on the play – before he was batted in on a sacrifice fly from second-baseman Johnny Ruiz.
The ‘Canes tacked on two more in the eighth and closer Bryan Garcia (9) got the save half an inning later. Chester led Miami with 3 hits (3-4).
Miami (23-4, and now ranked No. 2 in the nation) travels to Fort Myers, Fla. Tuesday for a single game against Florida Gulf Coast (13-15). The ‘Canes move on to play the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (15-11) in South Bend, Ind. In a three-game series over the weekend.
Alex Goldman is a senior majoring in journalism with a minor in political science. He is currently the Sports Editor of distractionmagazine.com. He’s a Northern California native and loves snowboarding, writing, and above all the Green Bay Packers.
words_ alexander goldman.