BYU: GAME 1

Canes take game one in walk-off fashion in the 12th 3-2. Another lackluster performance offensively almost cost a brilliant performance from starter Gage Ziehl as the Canes blew it in the 9th to send the game into extra innings. Two similar teams with records pretty much the same faced off on what should have been an opportunity for the Canes to get the offense back on track, but instead came up with a continuance of what we have seen all season: the inability to move runners, striking out at the most critical time, and doing nothing with runners in scoring position. Tonight we batted a whopping .205 with RISP 1-13. I mentioned two similar teams in that their hitting was a bit higher at .220 but with RISP 0-8. Each team left 11 on base. We had to labor to get runs on the board and missed opportunities with runners in scoring position with either no or one out and failing to do so. Cougars took a page out of our book with two swings of the bats for their 2 runs. It took 12 innings to finally get the mechanics right and the bat of Daniel Cuvet with a walk-off single to take us to the promised land.

Gage Ziehl in another impressive performance gave us 8 solid innings striking out 10 on 5 hits unfortunately one of them was a one-out HR in the 4th to have them tie the game at one. Miami took an early lead coming in the first inning with a lead-off triple by Jacoby Long, his first of the year, followed by Edgardo bringing him home on a 6-3 ground out. It looked like the mechanics were kicking in gear until they didn’t with Daniel being the next batter. Base running mentality is not one of our better traits as Daniel not only showed it once but twice in trying to stretch a single into a double being thrown out the first time by the left fielder and the second time by the right fielder. He tried it again in the 8th and a more accurate throw from right would have nailed him a third time. 

In the second inning, our defensive play took another hit with Daniel’s 10th error of the season resulting in runners on 1st and 2nd two outs which as shown in their 0-8 with RISP failed to convert a gift into a run. With our turn at bat, we get it to BL with two outs after Carrier singled and Perez walked to load the bases only to have our most consistent hitter lately, Jacoby Long, fly out to right.

Cougars had another opportunity to score in the third with runners on 1st and 2nd two outs but Gage came through with 4th K looking. Cougars tie the game in the 4th with a solo shot to left center by Brock Watkins, his third of the year .

Miami went into stagnation mode for the next couple of innings, finally showing life in the 6th with a one-out double by Dorian, his 15th of the year. WP advances Dorian to third. Costello walks putting runners on the corners with one out. Jack hits a hard grounder to the left of the 2b and it is a foot race between Watkins and Lucas to second. Ump ruled safe and review did not overturn the challenge scoring Dorian from 3rd. This would give Miami back the lead 2-1 which they would hold until the 9th. Canes had runners on 1st and 2nd and failed to take advantage of the opportunity. Another failed opportunity in the 8th with a lead-off double by Daniel followed by Dorian, only to have Lucas and Jack both striking out.

Gage finally turned over the rock in the 9th to Brian Walters to take it home. Instead, Brian served up his 4th HR of the season like Big Brother Andrew, who also occasionally served up a juicy one. Miami almost lost it in the 9th the result of the BP once again self-destructing right before our eyes after Gage struggled with our offense not putting up runs. Gage kept us in the game holding onto a one-run lead through 8. Following the HR to tie the score, Brian’s fastball recorded a K only to have the next batter singled bringing out JD for a change of pitchers. JD brings in our “Closer”, which I use loosely, and the Cougars bat out a single followed by a WP putting runners on 2nd and 3rd one out. Strikeout makes it #2 and a walk loads the bases. Robert runs the count to 1-2 before recording the final strike to the relief of the fans

Miami had the opportunity to close it out in the 9th with a gift from their CF dropping a routine out giving the Canes a runner on second, Perez, one out. Urso grounds out to the pitcher 1-3 advancing Perez to 3rd. Jacoby, 2-4 for the day, has a chance to be the hero with a walk-off hit but instead does the same as JD grounding out 1-3.

Robert settled down the 10th and 11th getting out of the 11th with a DP. Miami another chance in the 11th to end it, again blows it. Scanlon led off the 11th by getting hit. Gaby, PH for Carrier, SAC 3-4, advancing Jack and Perez does likewise, SAC, moving Jack to third. This left it to Urso to be the hero but instead strikes out on 4 pitches.

Chris Diaz was brought in to pitch the 12th. Right away things went into the crapper with a lead-off double. That follows with what should have been a routine grounder to third, Daniel checks the runner at second and almost throws it away on the throw to first with Perez digging out the ball thrown into the dirt. That would have been #11 for Daniel; his second of the night. Here is where it becomes hair-pulling. Chris attempts to pick off the runner at second and throws the ball into the outfield advancing the runner to 3rd with just one out. As I said, two similar teams not taking advantage of runners in scoring position. Chris settles the remaining fans with a K and gets the final out 4-3.

Miami’s 12th  was a textbook played ball. Jacoby leads off getting hit, and Edgardo advances Long with a beautifully laid-down bunt bringing Daniel to the plate. Already 3-5 for the night and being spotlighted throughout the night with bad base running and fielding made it all go away with hit #4 to center scoring Jacoby sliding head first across home plate with the winning run. Miami with their 5th walk off of the year takes game one 3-2.

JD stated after the game:“It’s always good to have a walk-off win, but it’s a bittersweet win,”  “Gage [Ziehl] went out, just as he has been for the last two months, and gave us a great performance, but he didn’t have much to show for it. At the end of the day, a win is a win, and we’ll take every single one of them at this point.”

Offensively, 8 scattered hits with no HRs to show for it. The Cougars outhit us 10-8 but faced the same problems as us not being able to provide the hit when needed. Fortunately, we got ours at the right time with the right player, Daniel Cuvet, who had a great night at the plate going 4-6 (double). The only other player with multiple numbers was Jacoby Long 2-5 (triple). Dorian was the only other player with an extra-base hit (double).

Tomorrow we try to lock up the series with Rafe Schlesinger on the hill. Both Rafe and Herick will be under the gun this weekend to try to turn their performances around. Whether we win or lose the series is irrelevant. This weekend is the final attempt to iron out everything in hitting, fielding, and pitching before the final two-week push to make the ACC Tournament. This will be our Omaha this year if we can make the cut. Right now we are holding down the 12th and final position.. It might come down to the final series of the year with Pitt on who goes and who stays home. Friday’s first pitch 7PM.