Mike Kaffee
Hurricanes Baseball Reporter
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A Star Stellar Performance as the Canes snap a 6 game losing streak with a 14-6 runaway win over the FAU Owls. The bats that seemed to have been dormant forever were electrified tonight, scoring in every inning except for one as new life was born into a team that had been spiraling downward into oblivion. 14 runs on 19 hits, 8 for doubles, and two for yard. Three players with a trio of hits and two shy of a triple to complete the cycle. It was an energized evening long overdue and with FSU on the immediate horizon, Thursday, could not have come at a better time.
Things started fast for the Canes putting a quick two on the board on Daniel Cuvet’s 10th homer of the season. He has had a long dry spell as for hitting and putting the crush on the ball. March 12th also against the Owls was his last HR at Boca. Daniel, as with many of his teammates, had that Magical evening as the Good fairy sprinkled her goodness over each and every bat. In the second a pair of doubles by Jack Scanlon who has finally settled in this season finding his way regularly on base and Lucas Costello, who until tonight, was fighting the Mendoza Line for lack of hitting.
Miami had built a 3-0 lead before the Owls could get on the board in the 3rd. Ashton Crowther coming off a heartbreaking loss on Sunday started tiring in the 3rd relinquishing an opening single by Jalen Debose who stole 2nd and 3rd unchallenged. The Owls were threatening with runners on the corners no outs what would have been a SF to right turned into a DP 9-4. Not to be deterred the Owls went right back to work with a single and a walk before they shot themselves in the foot with a pickoff at first 2-3. Bad decision on the bases saved the Canes from the Owls having a breakout inning and cutting more into the Canes’ lead.
Canes responded in the bottom of the inning taking back the one run with one run of the own on a Cuvet single followed by the 4th double of the evening from Dorian Gonzalez.
The 4th was a big inning for the Canes with a trio of runs on four hits including a pair of doubles by Daniel and Lorenzo Carrier and a BL single by Lorenzo Carrier.
The 5th inning was the only inning to go blank leaving Jack Scanlon stranded on second after a one-out double down the left-field line. It was the Cane’s 6th double for the night.
No lead is safe for the Canes. Holding onto a 6 run lead we found that to be no guarantee of a victory as we witnessed on Sunday. It looked that way in the 6th when the Owls opened with a pair of singles followed by a double. Before further damage could be done JD relieved Chris Diaz who had come in for Ashton in the 4th but ran out of fuel two innings and 31 pitches later. Chris Scinta put a halt to the rally escaping with only a SF to center.
Miami as they did in the 3rd responded with one run coming on an opening walk to Urso and Jacoby with Miami’s 6th double advancing JD to third. Edgardo goes deep enough to center for both JD and Jacoby to tag up from their respective bases except Jacoby called out for leaving too early. What could have possibly been a bigger inning ended on Jacoby jumping the gun.
the 7th inning caged the Owls for good with Miami’s second HR of the evening with two on board. Dorian opened the inning with a walk with Jack Scanlon taking advantage of the shift with a one-out bunt single. Carrier capitalizes on Dorian’s walk and Jack’s single with a single of his own scoring Dorian from second. that set it up for Lucas’s 4th HR of the season to extend Miami’s lead to 12-3.
Thankfully the Canes had built themselves a 9 run lead with only two innings left. The Owls were not ready to concede answering with two runs in the 8th on a pair of walks and a hit batter to load the bases. Brandon Olivera on the mound in relief of Scinta in the 7th. Brandon throws a WP scoring one and Jack retrieves the ball and throws wide of the plate scoring another (E2). As I said thank you for the cushion or if this was a close game, one would be tearing one’s hair out.
As good as the Canes had been hitting tonight they responded with two of their own on 4 hits but failed to score twice with BL. It was time for the bench to do a bit of celebrating for themselves. Gaby Gutierrez opened with a single and scored on Eric Fernandez’s first hit as a Cane for tonight’s 8th double. That ball will go on his trophy case. Doesn’t get credit for an RBI because of the LF fumbling the ball allowing Gaby to score. Eric advances to third on Dorian’s FO to center and scores on a WP when bases become loaded on AJ Goytia’s single. Runners on second and third Carrier hits an infield single to load the bases with only one out. Costello having a 3-4 day goes down with strikes and Urso grounding out 6-3 stranding 3 on base.
One last chance for the Owls in the 9th and JD again goes to the BP and calls in Sliade Naturman. BP is pretty well depleted from the weekend showing that we continue to have difficulty shutting the door. No need to bring in Robert for 9 run lead but we still should have someone that can close without any drama. An opening single, a walk, and a bunt single load the bases with no outs. It is never easy. Good Fortunes prevail with the pitcher’s best friend 4-6-3 DP and then Slaide seals it with the 10th strikeout of the game. A much-needed win of 14-6
It was a breakout Tuesday for the Miami bats putting up a 19-hit outbreak showing what they can do but have been forever hogtied at the plate. Feast or famine, tonight was a feast. Three for a trio of hits: Daniel Cuvet, Jack Scanlon, Lucas Costello. Jack and Daniel needed a triple to complete the cycle. Also with a pair of hits: Edgardo Villegas. Eight doubles tying a record going back to 1998. It felt good to see all that firepower tonight and hopefully, it will carry over when we travel north to the Badlands of Tallahassee and pray we don’t get scalped and do a bit of scalping on our own.
It might come down to pitching and if we expect the type of result we got tonight the starters must go deep and the BP not collapse. It is our biggest rivalry and anything can happen. The first pitch: Thursday 7PM.
