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In the bottom of the ninth inning Hurricanes' fans breathed a sigh of relief.
After nine innings of play, Miami finally prevented a no-hitter thanks to a single off the bat of first baseman Christopher Barr. Miami finally had some momentum, but other than that moment, there weren't many opportunities for excitement.
With the exception of a 3 run 9th inning, the ‘Canes just couldn't get rolling. Miami’s bats struggled the entire matchup with only three hits, and Preseason All-American Zack Collins went 0-2 at the plate.
This game felt a lot like the first matchup off the series at Mark Light Field, which saw the Gators take home a 5-0 victory. In that game, Pitcher Logan Shore kept the ‘Canes at bay all night, as did the four players who hit the mound this afternoon.
Alex Faedo discusses impressive start this afternoon - 12 K, 6.1 no-hit innings, now 2-0 for #Gators pic.twitter.com/o3nNNywRtz
— Gator Baseball (@GatorsBB) February 28, 2016
On the mound for Miami, Danny Garcia had a rough outing. Coming off a two-hit performance last weekend against Rutgers, Garcia allowed 4 runs in 5 1/3 innings of work.
Garcia did throw three scoreless innings, but his inconsistency mirrored Miami’s play throughout the series.
In the first weekend game, Miami struggled and made fans nervous for the team’s Omaha hopes. Every unit on the Hurricanes struggled, and the ‘Canes fell behind in the series.
In the face of turmoil; however, Head Coach Jim Morris kept things in perspective stating: "One game is one game." While it was hard to think that way at the time, Morris’ team played with heart in the second matchup.
Sophomore Michael Mediavilla anchored an incredible pitching performance for the Hurricanes,, and Catcher Zack Collin’s 4 RBI performance helped take out Florida’s starting pitcher after only 2 2/3 innings.
BOOM. Canes win!
— Hurricanes Baseball (@CanesBaseball) February 28, 2016
Canes take down the Gators in game two of the series. pic.twitter.com/HHZl5hhjis
Perhaps the magic may have faded in Sunday’s 7-3 loss, but in this moment, it is important to remember coach Morris’ words.
"One game is one game."
Right now Miami has no time to weep over losing a chance to take the series against Florida, all they have time to do is move forward.
At this point in the season, the ‘Canes should be focused on their consistency. Miami has a light schedule until they begin conference play against Virginia Tech on March 11th, which should give them time to tighten up their play for the meat of the season.
The Hurricanes may not face another lineup this talented for the rest of the year, so before you start hitting the panic button remember this.
Miami's 2001 National Championship baseball team allowed 17 runs at home in a loss to FIU.
"One game is one game."