The Miami Hurricanes dropped the first game of an important ACC series with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Friday night. With the loss Miami drops to 12-13 (6-4 ACC) on the season.

Hurricanes starter Jeb Bargfeldt struggled from the get-go. In the bottom of the first inning the senior allowed a single followed by a homerun that gave Georgia Tech an immediate lead. However, Miami fought back in the top of the second. Isaac Quinones and Willy Escala both singled in the half inning, and Quinones was driven in by a Michael Perez single to score the ‘Canes first and only run.

Miami couldn’t hold the deficit at one for very long though. In the bottom of the second an error on a throw up the baseline gave GT a runner at third, and a bizarre blooper that split the whole Hurricanes defense gave the Yellow Jackets a 3-1 lead. Then, in the bottom of the third, Bargfeldt let Georgia Tech load the bases with no outs. Despite getting a double play a run still scored, and the game’s score was at 4-1 in favor of the Yellow Jackets. Things got even worse in the bottom of the fifth, when a double was followed by an RBI groundout that gave GT a 5-1 lead. The Jackets would get their final run of the game in the bottom of the eighth, when an HBP with the bases loaded advanced every runner.

Meanwhile, the Hurricanes were dominated by Yellow Jackets starter Xzavion Curry. Curry managed to earn a career high twelve strikeouts on the evening, and his only mistake was the aforementioned set of three singles in the top of the second. Besides that inning Curry was dominant, and Miami struggled to get anything going at the plate all night.

In the end this was a pretty one sided affair. Jeb Bargfeldt just didn’t have his best stuff tonight, and he struggled against the strong bats of Georgia Tech. Miami needs the pitching staff to do better this weekend, and they really need an ACC series win headed into a big next week that sees North Carolina come to town. Evan McKendry absolutely has to be his usual self tomorrow, and prove once again why he’s one of the best pitchers in the entire conference.

Game Info

Winning Pitcher: Xzavion Curry (6-0, 8.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 12 K)

Losing Pitcher: Jeb Bargfeldt (2-3, 5.0 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 3 K)

Save: None

Box Score:

Next Game

Date & Time: Saturday, March 31, 4:00 PM

Hurricanes Starter: Evan McKendry (4-2, 2.04 ERA)

Georgia Tech Starter: Connor Thomas (2-3, 4.15 ERA)

Television: ACC Network Extra

Radio: WVUM 90.5 FM