Fifth-ranked Miami baseball leads the Atlantic Coast Conference, but had a bad day Sunday
The sought-after, now familiar expectations of a sweep by the No. 5 University of Miami baseball team became a bit hazier by the time Pittsburgh took a 6-0 lead in the second inning Sunday at Mark Light Field.
Home runs in back-to-back innings by the same young man can have that effect — not to mention an outstanding pitching performance by Pitt starter Billy Corcoran to help hold the Canes to six hits for a 9-4 Panthers triumph. UM’s Zach Levenson hit a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth, but it was far from enough.
Atlantic Coast Conference leader Miami (31-9, 16-5 ACC), which came into Sunday with 18 victories in its last 20 games, already clinched the weekend series with victories Friday and Saturday, but Sunday dropped its first game since April 15.
“Disappointing,’’ UM coach Gino DiMare said. “We really didn’t do much today — kind of a flat game. Of course you want to set the tone on the mound and we struggled there. At the end of the day they outpitched us and outhit us so that’s why you end up in the loss column.
“...We gotta stay positive and move forward. We’re coming down the home stretch here and we have some really tough games. Gotta finish strong.’’
Catcher Tatem Levins hit a solo shot to left field for Pittsburgh (22-16, 10-10) in the first inning and a three-run homer to right off UM right-handed starter Alejandro Rosario to make it tough for UM from the start. Rosario, who allowed five hits and the six runs in those innings, dropped to 1-2 with an 8.33 earned run average.
Rosario was replaced by sophomore Ronaldo Gallo, who didn’t allow a hit and retired eight of the nine batters he faced in a career-high three innings. He struck out four and walked one.
UM used eight pitchers who combined for 15 strikeouts.
“Guys came in and you could feel the energy was picking up,’’ DiMare said of the relievers. “Gallo did a good job. Our bullpen has been a very, very big part of the success of our team up to this point.”
Right-handed junior Corcoran (6-2, 3.05) gave up three hits in his seven innings, striking out eight Hurricanes.
Offensively, besides Levenson’s homer, Canes standout third baseman Yohandy Morales hit a solo home run to left in the fourth inning. Henry Wallen added a single in the third and Max Romero added a double to lead off the seventh.
“Every time we lose it sucks,’’ Morales said. “It’s never a good feeling. We just didn’t hit the ball.’’
After their initial six runs, Pittsburgh scored two in the sixth and one in the ninth — two of them unearned.
The Canes next meet Stetson at 6 p.m. Tuesday at home, followed by a three-game weekend series at the ACC’s Georgia Tech in Atlanta, 25-15 overall and 10-10 in the ACC heading into Sunday.
This story was originally published April 24, 2022 at 4:29 PM.
