ACC: DUKE

Mike Kaffee

Hurricanes Baseball Reporter
mike@gablesinsider.com

Miami, the Cinderella team in this year’s Tournament, fell to Duke Blue Devils in the Semi-Final game 8-2. Miami held to just 2 hits was all it would need going into the 5th inning. Miami took the early lead 2-0 on Daniel Cuvet’s record making HR exceeding Pat Burrell’s record which held for 28 years. Herick Hernandez in his best performance of the season through the first four innings struck out 9 batters without a hit until the 5th inning when Duke finally broke through. A BL walk in the 5th put them to within one run, tying the game at 2 in the 7th. With a change of pitchers for the Canes, the soft underbelly of the BP revealed itself giving up six unanswered runs in the 8th capped off with a pair of HRS as the Blue Devils pulled away to gain a spot against the Noles Sunday afternoon to determine this year’s Champion.

An hour and twenty-minute delay due to lightning in the area, did nothing for to deter Herick as he came out strong with 9 strikeouts in the first 4 innings. He had help from Daniel Cuvet with the 24th HR of the season to put the Canes up 2-0 until one inning later the world of Herick Hernandez fell apart. Three walks including their first hit had BL and with their third walk of the inning to walk in their first run. In the 8th, two monster HRs with men on sealed their season 8-2. The Field of Dreams was no longer as the BP and hitting fell short with 8 unanswered runs.

For the first 4 innings, it was all Miami behind the hitting of Daniel Cuvet and the pitching arm of Herick Hernandez. The “Hialeah Fire” was definitely ablaze striking out 9 through the first 4 innings. Like all good things, he could not keep up the pace in their first run via the walk. In the 7th after relinquishing a pair of hits tied the score at two and then the failing BP, our Achilles Heel all season totally fell apart and Miami was only able to come up with one hit following Danies’s HR in the 4th was not enough to get Miami back into the ballgame.

Now starts the rebuilding year needing pitchers at the top of our list. It is a young team with great expectations. Although the hitting wasn’t there today, the first two games exceeded expectations and should vitalize next year’s team. Today was not the day where the bats were silent except for Daniel Cuvet. Duke had a pair of HRs in the 8th sealing their advancement to meet the Noles Sunday at noon to determine the winner of The Tournament.