#3 Canes Drop Fourth Straight With 7-5 Loss To Georgia Tech

 April 30, 2022  Leave a comment

Mike Kaffee

Hurricanes Baseball Reporter
[email protected]

The Rambling Wreck of Georgia Tech STUNG the Canes for the second straight day as the Yellow Jackets handed Miami their 4th straight loss. Miami pitching and hitting were not able to get things done. Miami bats continue their hitless way being 0-9 with RISP, only managing one hit with two outs and stranding 10 players. After the 4th inning, only able to come up with two hits and never had a runner beyond first. If not for Max’s 2 HRs, there would have been no offense at all. It was not only the offense, but pitching contributed their fair share for today’s loss. From the opening inning, it became apparent that Karson was not having his best day constantly falling behind the hitters. Not being able to get the final out accounted for 5 of the 7 Tech runs with the most damage coming in the 4th. With the three-run lead going into the inning, Miami found themselves trailing by one on the tail end, all coming with two outs. The offense had no response as GT pitching took over the game limiting as earlier mentioned to just 2 hits, striking out 5 and allowing a solitary walk. About a month ago, they were sitting on top of the ACC striving along on cruise control. After today, it is a whole different story trying to fight off getting SWEEPED for the first time this season.

Gino made no changes from yesterday’s lineup. Tomorrow just might be a different story. The regulars are just not getting the job done and I don’t know if there is anyone in reserve able to step up and put some life into our stagnated offense. Today, it was Max but no supporting cast.

Miami started like they had come to play today opening with CJ and Edgardo reaching 1st on a single and a walk. Just when you expected an initial opening statement by the offense, Yoyo, Max, and Jacob all strike out. Not a good beginning on what could have been a game statement. Instead, it sent the wrong message in Tech’s response. Behind in the count, 2-0, Kevin Parada crushes his 23rd homer of the year to give the Jackets an early lead in the first putting the Canes on notice.

Given a second opportunity in the second, the bats stayed silent once again after back-to-back one-out singles by Zach Levenson and Mike Rosario. Henry Wallen loads the bases and it is back to the top of the lineup. CJ is hit by pitch to tie the score at one. Bases still loaded with one out, Edgardo strikes out and Yoyo grounds out 1-3. For the second inning, opportunity comes a-knocking. Still, the score is tied at one.

Although we showed just one run, their starter’s pitch count was climbing at an ungodly rate. 57 pitches at the end of two and appeared for an early departure. Karson is better at 37, but showing control issues with 4 hits already. Miami once again opened strong in the third with Max leading off and continuing his birthday celebration with a 339-footer just clearing the LF wall. Jacob went deep to center for the first out and with Dominic striking for a double to right, a big inning appeared in the making. An E4 error scores Pitelli and puts Rosario on second. WP followed by a walk and for the third time, the offense has a chance to blow open the game with runners on the corners two outs. Nada. CJ flies out to left. The two runs give Miami a 3-1 lead. 

Tech not standing idle in response had runners on 1st and second (walk,single) two outs, Karson couldn’t complete the cycle getting the 3rd out with a single to right-center to bring Tech to within one.

Unlike yesterday, pitching was taking a back seat for both sides in the first 3 innings. Max stepped up and delivered his second homer of the day this left no doubt coming off the bat and traveling 426′ to right-center and this time taking Yoyo along for the ride who reached first on a single. Miami appeared to finally being back on track leading 5-2.

That was the case until Tech responded in the bottom half of the inning, taking back the 3 run deficit and leaving with a one-run lead. Karson at 57 pitches still not showing his lights-out performance of pass, opened with a walk and single. A 1-4-3 DP quieted things for the moment. Tech seems to be at their best with 2 outs against them. When Karson should have been at his best just getting out of a jam with a DP, he totally lost it. HP, walk, HP scores a run, and Gino had seen more than he wanted to.

Alejandro Torres comes in with BL two outs and Drew Compton delivers a single through the middle scoring two and on the relay from Burke to Pitelli, Dominic throws to an empty base at first (no one covering) clearing the bases. From three down to one up Miami’s offense had nothing left in their tank to respond. From the 5th inning on it was an entirely different team. Just two singles and a walk, no one getting beyond first, is all Miami could muster. 

Tech pitching took total charge of the game handing the Canes second series ACC loss with ND and FSU waiting in the wings to add to Miami’s misery. 

Not a great day overall. Gino stated afterward ” we didn’t come through in the clutch when they needed to”. That was not the case, for the second day as Tech’s pitching and hitting did what we couldn’t.

Max was the only Cane with multiple hits with a pair of homers 2-5 for 3 RBIs. As Max stated “it is meaningless if you lose”. 

“Tomorrow is the most important game of the season”. That is how the team must look at this game and every game that follows. Miami needs to stop the downward streak at 4 by reversing direction. To do so it has to start with pitching. Gino might have to reconsider who to start tomorrow. Rosario is scheduled but might decide to make the switch and go with Jake. There is no mid-week game so this is a perfect opportunity. If Jake hadn’t had such a bad game against Stetson, this would have been a no-brainer. That is why Gino gets the big bucks and I am here to pick up the pieces afterward come better or worse. First pitch 1PM.

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