Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Florida Atlantic
Miami
Improbable Comeback Puts No. 1 Miami Past FAU
4/17/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 17, 2008
BOCA RATON, FL - Yonder Alonzo hit a go-ahead two-run home run with two outs in the ninth to lead top-ranked University of Miami past Florida Atlantic University 12-10 Wednesday night in Boca Raton.
A record crowd of 2,348 at FAU Stadium watched the host Owls jump out to a seven-run lead, backing starter Adam Morrison with 10 runs in the first four innings.
Miami (31-3) was down to its last out when Jemile Weeks extended the game with a single through the infield's right side and moments later Alonzo hit a 2-0 pitch deep into the night, setting off an extended celebration for a Hurricane club that lost to the unranked Owls just eight days ago in Coral Gables.
Florida Atlantic (21-13) rapped out 13 hits and scored 10 times in the first four innings. Senior Alex Silversmith went 4-for-5, Nick Arata went 3-for-5 and left fielder Jeremy Griffiths doubled twice.
RBI singles by Travis Ozga and Silversmith and the first of Griffiths' doubles highlighted a three-run FAU first inning off Miami starter Michael Rudman.
Griffiths doubled again in the second, hitting a full-count pitch to the warning track in center field, scoring Arata, who had singled and stole second. Ozga followed with his second RBI single in as many innings.
Rudman was touched up for seven hits and five runs in just two innings and 53 pitches.
Arata's eighth home run and third in four games came off reliever John Housey with one on in the third. FAU racked up 10 hits in the first three frames, with Arata's long-ball making the score 8-2.
FAU pounded out three more hits in the fourth, with Tom Hatcher knocking in two runs on one of his two singles and FAU led 10-3.
The Miami bats retaliated in the fifth. Shaky defense extended the inning for Mark Slobolewski, who hit a two-out three-run homer into the bullpen beyond the right field fence. Two consecutive hits followed before Morrison was able to escape the inning with FAU still holding a 10-7 advantage.
Morrison went five innings, allowing eight hits and left in position to become the winning pitcher of record before Alonzo put Miami in front in the ninth.
Near perfect in 11 relief appearances this season, stopper Glen Troyanowski (3-1) was called upon to get FAU out of a jam in the eighth.
A sacrifice fly and an FAU error led to a pair of Miami runs which made the score 10-9. As he did last week in Miami, Troyanowski struck out Dave DiNatale with the bases loaded and the game in the balance, preserving the one-run FAU lead heading into the ninth.
After two strikeouts, Troyanowski was just one out away from closing the door on the `Canes. Alonzo's home run, his ninth of the year, completed an improbable comeback for a UM team that ups its record to 31-3.
Miami closer Carlos Gutierrez (3-0), who entered the game with eight saves, allowed a hit to Mike McKenna in the bottom of the ninth but did not allow a run.
