May 30, 2014

Suarez Pitches Miami Past Bethune-Cookman

By David Furones

College Baseball Insider

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — When No. 11 Miami learned of its draw in the Coral Gables Regional, the Hurricanes knew it wouldn’t be easy against Bethune-Cookman, despite the RPI of 208 for the Wildcats.

The reason? Miami had been beaten by Bethune-Cookman ace Montana Durapau each of the past two times he’s faced the Canes.

Durapau dueled with Miami starter and highest projected draft pick Andrew Suarez in a scoreless tie, but with Durapau done after seven innings, the Hurricanes (42-17) manufactured the one run they needed on a walk-off wild pitch that scored David Thompson to back Suarez’s complete-game shutout for a 1-0 win Friday night at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.

“Find a way to win some way, and that’s a crazy way to win, but it’s a huge win,” Miami coach Jim Morris said.

Miami, the top seed and host of the Regional, now faces Texas Tech, which won on a walk-off of its own earlier Friday, Saturday at 7 p.m.

Bethune-Cookman will face Columbia at 2 p.m. on Saturday in an elimination game.

“No question [the players] are disappointed, and rightly so; I’m disappointed,” Bethune-Cookman head coach Jason Beverlin said. “But I’m not disappointed in the way they played. I’m very proud of the way they went about their business.”

Thompson reached on a hit-by-pitch with one out. Two batters later, shortstop Brandon Lopez singled to right, and Thompson went first to third after a bobble and error by Wildcats right fielder Josh Johnson to put him in position to score.

“I thought it was a strike, said Thompson, who was then rushed at home plate by the rest of his teammates. “The catcher just missed it, and I just ran home – plain and simple.”

Wildcats reliever Scott Garner, who officially was given a wild pitch although he didn’t miss by much and his delivery was easily catchable, chronicled the play from his perspective.

“We called a changeup low,” Garner said. “We weren’t going to give [batter Johnny Ruiz] anything to hit. Just got away from the catcher a little bit, turned his glove over, but things happen.”

For Thompson, it means more to him to score the winning run as he didn’t think he would play again this season after undergoing surgery on March 24 for a blood clot that developed in his right arm.

“It’s just a blessing to be back on the field,” said Thompson, who went 0 for 3 with a strikeout. “I didn’t play that well today, but I just found a way to get on base.”

Suarez gave up four hits to the first 10 batters he faced, but after coming out of the early going unscathed, he settled in, giving up just three hits the rest of the way. He struck out 10 and walked none in his complete-game shutout.

He walked off the mound after facing the minimum in the top of the ninth with the game still in the balance. He inevitably had flashbacks of his three nine-inning no-decisions he’s had this season.

“I was just hoping that we were going to score finally,” Suarez said. “I felt like all my pitches were working, and my command got better as the game went on. At first, I was down the plate and they were getting some good hits, and after that I just worked on keeping the ball low.”

Durapau went seven shutout innings, striking out five and allowing three hits and four walks.

“An amazing game pitched by both guys,” Morris said. “That’s as good as Suarez has pitched, and I don’t know about Durapau, but this guy can’t be any better. He’s pitched well against us his whole career. Thank goodness he’s a senior.”

The key for the Canes: They made him work. While they didn’t score off of him, the Hurricanes worked counts to chase him after the seven shutout frames with 109 pitches.

“I fell behind in counts,” Durapau said. “I should’ve just ‘attack, attack, attack.’ You fall behind, but you’ve got to make the best of it, and that’s all I try to do.”

While Miami may have been relieved to see someone other than Durapau, Garner struck out the side in the eighth.

Bethune-Cookman left a man on third in each of the first three innings. The Wildcats’ best early chance came in the second when they had runners on the corners, but 9-hole hitter Zach Olszewski grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to end the threat. Third baseman Jordan Robinson stranded runners on second and third when he struck out to end the first.

Game Notes

•       Jim Morris said postgame that he would’ve let Andrew Suarez go another inning had the game gone to a 10^th inning. Suarez’s pitch count ended at 94.

•       Morris announced that he will send ace Chris Diaz, who was named to the Louisville Slugger All-American first team, to the mound against Texas Tech on Saturday.

•       Thompson said captain and left fielder Tyler Palmer pulled the team together in the dugout in the middle of the eighth and gave the team a motivational speech to get the players going.

(photo by JC Ridley/HurricaneSports.com)