Streaks inevitably come to an end, and tonight was no exception for the Canes, who struggled defensively and lacked offensive production. The Cardiac Kids stroked out cold, leading to a 4-2 defeat to the Bulls of South Florida.
Disaster struck early for the Canes as the big E came early, not once but twice in the first inning. It is never easy when the leadoff batter opens with a single, but it gets even worse when an attempted steal goes haywire, and the runner ends up on third due to Alvarez’s slingshot throw to second, which ended up closer to Michael Torres in center than to second base. With a man on third and no outs, Miami quickly trails 1-0 on an RBI single. Not a good beginning, but it only gets worse with a man on second and two outs following the RBI single. An excellent SAC back to TJ Coats, who had it beat out, gets an extra base on a wild throw to first, which results in the second run of the inning crossing the plate, putting the Canes in the hole 2-0, the result of two errors.
Miami’s response was swift but brief. With a 1-2 count, Jake doubled down the left-field line and advanced to third on a flyout to right by Daniel. Alex Sosa extended his on-base streak to 26 with a triple to left, getting under the left fielder’s glove and rolling to the fence. After waiting out a strikeout by West, Max Galvin’s single to center scored Alex, tying the game at two.
As previously noted, Miami’s response was swift but brief. Over the next seven innings, their offensive production was nearly nonexistent. The only hits were a bunt single by Jake in the 5th, a two-out single by Alvarez in the 7th, and a two-out walk in the 8th. Only three balls left the infield, and there were three strikeouts. Essentially, the team’s offensive efforts came to a halt.
The defense and pitching settled down after the first inning. The exception occurred in the third when Joey Brenczewski, batting .229, hit a deep right-field homerun for his first of the season, breaking the tie as the Bulls extended their lead to 3-2.
This score remained until the 7th inning when Jake Dorn replaced TJ Coats, who had thrown 90 pitches, allowing three runs on seven hits, and recorded a single strikeout. Jake’s first inning was as problematic as TJ’s, not with errors but with two hit batters. Issues began for Jake when he hit the first batter on a 1-2 count, followed by a single—the Bulls’ eighth hit of the game—putting runners on the corners with no outs. A 4-6-3 double play halted the rally, but a run scored, increasing their lead to 4-2. Further damage was avoided after the double play when another hit batter reached base. Jake made a good stop at second, fielding a hard-hit ball up the middle and stepping on second to end the inning.
Miami’s failure to score in the 8th left them needing a touch of Mark Light Magic in the 9th if they wanted to extend their nine-game midweek streak. The Cardiac Kids, sensing the urgency, began with a walk to Brylan West. Max singled to third, and the Magic seemed to be brewing. With no outs, Vance laid down a nearly perfect bunt, almost beating it out. That would have loaded the bases with no outs and brought Alvarez, already with one hit tonight, to the plate. With runners on second and third and one out, Alonzo hit a hard line to the shortstop’s left. The shortstop caught it and touched second, doubling up Fabio, who was running for West. That ended the Magic and halted the streak at nine, with a final score of 4-2.
Offensively, it was a night off for our sluggers, managing just 6 hits. Two players with multiple hits: Jake Ogden 2-4 (double) and Max Galvin also 2-4. Besides Jake’s double, the only other extra-base hit was Alex Sosa’s triple. Offensively, the team batted .198 but only struck out 5 times. After such a good offensive showing on Sunday, the bats appeared very sluggish tonight, with no sense of urgency.
The error carousel persists, leading to costly runs and lost games. Allowing two errors in one inning and another in the next is inexcusable. If we hope to succeed in the postseason, our defense must improve. Errors continue to cost us dearly, as they did tonight.
Our pitching tonight was nothing exceptional. TJ had a rough first inning, compounded by defensive miscues he was involved in. He managed to pitch six innings and throw 90 pitches, allowing only one additional run, which is notable. Jake came in relief in the seventh, beginning with a hit batter. If not for a double play, the situation could have worsened after he hit his second batter. Sebastian Santos-Olson finished the game by pitching the final two innings, giving up two hits but preventing the Bulls from scoring. Without much offensive support, they had a difficult night.
Miami hits the road this weekend, traveling cross-country to face Stanford, which has been struggling this season. Miami must stay focused and play with the same intensity as in game three of the Wake Forest series to avoid a repeat of tonight’s performance. Starting pitching is expected to hold firm, but concerns remain regarding the bullpen and defense. First pitch is at 9 PM, promising an extended evening for everyone watching back home.