Mike Kaffee
Hurricanes Baseball Reporter
[email protected]
Before a soldout crowd of 3555 jubilant fans, the Canes did a bit of scalping tonight against arch-rivals Florida State delivering their second shutout of the season in Grandiose fashion. Karson Ligon pitched brilliantly hog tying the Noles to just 3 hits in a season-high 8 innings pitched. Rivalries bring out the best and tonight it was a total team package with 8 of the starting 9 registered at least a hit with 4 players in multiple numbers. Miami had runners on base in every inning and scored in all but two innings. This was not the same team we witnessed on Tuesday which struggled in all aspects of their game. They were aggressive on the bases stealing successfully 3 times and mounting an 11-run 14-hit blowout.
The only change to the lineup was regular catcher Carlos Perez back in the lineup batting in the 9th position. Karson Ligon with Friday night duties on the mound.
Miami did not waste any time getting on the board. When Miami starts hitting and scoring in the early innings, then good results follow. So it was with CJ Kayfus leading off with a single followed by Edgardo Villegas taking the first pitch and doubling to right. Yoyo SF to right started the chain of events which put us on the scoreboard every inning except for the 2nd and 7th. Nole’s pitching just could not keep base runners reaching base every inning with crooked posts in the 4th, 5th, and 6th inning.
Already leading 1-0 in the third, The Canes post their second run on an RBI single by the hero of Tuesday night’s walk-off victory Zach Leverson. The hit scored Edgardo who opened with a walk and advanced to second on a Yoyo single.
The first three innings were warmups to the next two breakout innings putting up three runs respectively to extend the lead 8-0. In the 4th, the Noles should have walked away scoreless except for the LF dropping the ball for the final out scoring two runs and dropping a third run with an RBI infield single by Yoyo. All runs are unearned. It would become one of those nights for the Noles this being the first of 3 errors resulting in 5 unearned runs.
Nothing unearned in the 5th. Runners on 1st and 2nd Carlos Perez to the plate. A 1-2 pitch and bye-bye birdie 370′ off the LF wall scored Dario Gomez who singled with two outs followed by Dominic Pitelli being hit by pitch. By the 5th inning, it was all but over for the Noles as the Canes circled the wagons with a score of 8-0 awaiting for the white flag to be raised.
A defeated Nole team failure to accept surrender terms, the Canes did not slow their attack with two more runs in the 6th coming off of a pair of errors. When things go wrong, it definitely goes wrong. A one-out error at 3rd had Zach standing on first. Blake taps in on this error with a single to center. Runners on 1st and 2nd, Noles managed to get the second out but like the prior inning with two outs, the Canes add to the pain and misery that the Nole were experiencing with their second error of the inning. A single by Dario Gomez to left gets by the LF. The ball rolls to the fence scoring both runners with Dario standing up at third. 10-0 end of six.
Still, failing to accept the terms of surrender, Ian Farrow renders the Cane’s versions of the Tomahawk Chop in the 8th with a crushing coup de gras going 412′ to left to end the suffering at 11-0.
Offensively, the bats were blistering with 14 hits pounded out. Mark Light Magic was not needed tonight in an 11-run shutout performance with all but one in the starting nine failing to get at least a hit. Tonight was number 21, 16 being multi-homer games where the Long Ball played an integral role in the final outcome. Honors go to Carlos Perez with his 7th of the year and Ian Farrow also with his 7th. Players with multiple hits: CJ Kayfus 2-4; Yoyo Morales 2-4(2RBIs);Dario Gomez 2-4(RBI); Dominic Pitelli 2-4. Besides the 2 HRs there was one other extra-base hit: Edgardo Villegas(double)
The offense was explosive, but the showpiece for tonight’s presentation was starting pitcher Karson Ligon. In the words of Gino DiMare:
“I don’t recall too many of our guys going eight innings and throwing under 100 pitches. You can’t draw it up any better for game one.”
Enjoy the victory, but there is still work that needs to be done. Gage Ziehl on the mound tomorrow 2PM
to bring home the series and set up the sweep on Sunday at the same time.
