Mike Kaffee
Hurricanes Baseball Reporter
mike@gablesinsider.com
The Canes were on fireknocking off 15th-ranked Tar Heels decisively 14-1 in a game-shortened contest due to the Mercy Rule. Carolina coming into the Light was riding on a 11 game win streak which came crashing down tonight in a game-perfect performance by the Canes. The Canes put up twisted numbers in every inning except the third holding the Heels to just a single run. Gage Ziehl was at his very best pitching a complete game in his best performance to date. Six of the Miami batters put up multiple numbers with Blake Cyr leading the way with multiple HRs. The team as a whole batted .471 holding the Heels to just 5 hits. Tonight, the Canes were unstoppable and tomorrow they look for their second series win against a ranked opponent.
The experiment continues with Blake Cyr playing in left, Edgardo in center, and Lucas Costello in right. Jack Scanlon is behind the plate batting 6th, Costello 7th with Lorenzo Carrier,DH, holding the 8th position, and Antonio Jimenez at short batting 9th. Gage Ziehl on the hill
Freshman sensation Folger Boaz came into the Light boasting of not having given up a HR the entire season. By the close of the second inning, three had left the yard; two coming from Blake Cyr. After Gage made quick work from an over-anxious Heels needing 5 pitches to retire them in order, the Canes went to work opening with Edgardo leading off with a single bringing Mr. ACC Player of the Week to the plate. Blake just needed 3 pitches to flaw Boaz’s boast of no one being able to leave the park with him being on the mound. Blake not only did it once but on his next at-bat did it again after Lorenzo preceded him in doing likewise. Three HRs in two innings put the Canes on top 5-0.
The Canes were in cruise control and kept going into the 4th with Ziehl having thrown just 27 pitches allowing just one hit, striking out three. the 4th is when Gage usually starts having trouble with the opposition getting a second look at the plate. The Heels started settling down walking the first two followed by a single to load the bases nobody out. Fans started getting a bit edgy wondering if this was the beginning of the end and the 5-run lead would become history. A grounder to Torres at first threw to second in the hope of turning a DP, but the speed of Anthony Donofrio was too much to complete the 1-6-3 execution. Runners on the corners, Gage didn’t fold but showed nothing but confidence striking out the next two. Carolina managed to get their first run and managed to more than double Gage’s pitch count from 27 to 57.
Boaz was still on the mound to start the 4th, and before the inning’s end would be decidedly knocked out with 3 runs on five hits. Edgardo would start it off with a one-out single followed by the next 4 (Cyr,Cuvet, Gonzalez,Torres) all reaching base. Dorian would have an RBI single with BL followed by Jason singling through the left side scoring Cuvet and Cyr. With the infield in Dorian decided to attempt reaching home with a Scanlon hit back to Boaz on the mound and was caught in a not-so-close play at the plate. This is the second straight game of bad base running on his part. Don’t know if it was his call or the 3rd base coach but either was the wrong choice. That was the only negative the Cane’s had for the entire game. Still, at the end of 4, Miami increased the spread to 8-1.
Two more in the 5th with Carrier opening getting hit and Jimenez advancing him to third on his 4th double of the season. Runners on second and third, Edgardo brings both home on a single to center. 10-1 and creeping closer to the 10-run rule implemented by the ACC this year.
The 6th finalized the fate of the Tar Heels with the Canes batting around putting 4 runs on the board. Three doubles (Scanlon, Carrier, Jimenez) accounted for the first two runs and Edgardo sealed it with an RBI single scoring two more.
The score 14-1, and Carolina had one more chance to get it under 10 or end the game at 7 innings which is where the Mercy Rule kicks in. Gage had the honor of putting this game to bed. Heels managed to get their 5th hit but not nearly enough to move the needle even a faction of an inch as Gage finishes his best outing of the season 14-1.
Offensively, it was a hitter’s paradise tonight with 7 of the 9 with at least a hit and 6 with multiple hits. Three of the 16 hits were for HRs (Cyr(2),Carrier) with four for doubles (Scanlon, Carrier, Jimenez(2)). The lone players without a hit were Daniel Cuvet who had three walks and Lucas Costello with one walk. Edgardo went 3-4 with a pair of RBIs. Also with 3 hits is Jason Torres 3-5 with a pair of RBIs. The high man in RBIs was Blake with 4 followed by Dorian with 3.
Whether the team can keep this torrent pace will be determined starting at 7PM with Gage turning the rock over to Rafe Schlesinger. The team performed flawlessly tonight and doing likewise tomorrow will secure a series win against a ranked opponent.
