Coral Springs, Florida — The destination of the Cardiac Canes is Charlotte.
At Mark Light Field on Thursday night, the Hurricanes came back to defeat the Pitt Panthers 5-3, guaranteeing their place in the 2024 ACC Baseball Championship.
J.D. Arteaga, the head coach, declared, “That was a big win.” It secures our place in the competition and allows us to compete for a regional berth. Obviously, we have to win the competition. We put a lot of effort into it, but if we win today and know we’re in, we can type of build up a starting rotation that will give us the best chance to win the competition.
Miami (25-27, 11-17 ACC) regained momentum after Pitt (24-27, 8-20 ACC) had led by two after six innings.
With a game-tying two-run bomb in the eighth inning, veteran shortstop JD Urso sent the first-base dugout into a frenzy.
Following Urso’s third home run of the season, three of the following four Hurricanes loaded the bases via free passes.
Senior first baseman Carlos Perez was hit by a pitch two pitches later, putting Miami ahead 4-3.
Myles Caba, a left-handed pitcher in his fifth year of eligibility, had more than enough to celebrate after the Hurricanes added a run in the eighth inning.
Caba (3) closed out the game and secured Miami’s postseason berth by striking out all six batters he faced.
Caba stated, “Everything has only been getting better.” It’s the appropriate moment. Guys, we need you to keep building this time of year. I’ve come a long way from the pitcher I was two years ago.
I haven’t played for a while, but to come back to the game so quickly after having two elbow operations is beyond amazing.
Gage Ziehl, a junior right-hander (4-3) earned the win with his 10th solid start in 14 games. In seven innings, Ziehl struck out six batters while giving up three runs.
Matthew Fernandez (3-5), a right-hander for Pitt, was given the loss.
On Friday, the Hurricanes aim to win the series. A 7 p.m. pitch time has been scheduled.
“I promised that this team was going to fight,” Arteaga remarked. “As the season begins, you never know what kind of year you’re going to have.
” We’ve experienced many hardships, from injuries to personal family problems; these things are just a part of life, but they’re still fighting the way they assured me they would. We will not give up until the absolute end. I’m quite pleased of these men and their return strategy.
