June 19, 2008

Downgraded Hurricanes

Miami misses opportunities in loss to Stanford

By Phil Stanton

CollegeBaseballInsider.com Co-Founder

OMAHA, Neb. – No big hits, no big innings.

Top-seeded Miami had base-runners in each inning, but scored single runs in the first, seventh and eighth innings in its 8-3 loss to Stanford.

The Hurricanes were 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position, including 0 for 7 in the first seven innings. Miami was 5 for 21 with runners on base in the contest.

Miami stranded a runner on third in the top of the first and the top of the third. The Hurricanes drew a pair of walks to start the fifth, but could not advance them. Miami tried to come back late, but stranded two runners in each of the final three innings. The Hurricanes had the bases loaded with no outs in the eighth and scored just one. Miami had runners on second and third with none away in the ninth and failed to score.

“You’ve got to credit their pitching,” said Miami head coach Jim Morris. “They threw some big pitches in big counts. We had some opportunities with one or two outs with guys on base and we didn’t get them in. This club has been a very explosive club, so you never give up on them. You always expect them to get it done, even in the eighth and ninth inning when we gave a great effort as a team in trying to come back.

“We really haven’t been hot with the bats. We’ve got a great offensive club. In the middle of the season I felt like we could beat anybody at any time. We had all cylinders clicking. We didn’t get it going out here. The team that wins out here is not necessarily the best record, it’s the team that gets hot.”

This was the eighth time that Miami was held to three runs or less and the Hurricanes lost five of those contests.