Miami’s High-Powered Offense Shutdown in Game Two by Wake Forest
Coral Gables, Fla. — The calling card all season for the Miami Hurricanes has been their offense.
Statistically, they are one of the best in the country in hits and runs. Going into the second game of the series against Wake Forest, the Canes struggled to find hits in game one. In the second, they would get shut out by the Demon Deacons, losing 3-1.
"They got a great pitching staff," Arteaga said. "We got to find ways to slow runs. You know, the conditions weren't the best. We hit too many fly balls today, man. We made a few too many fly balls. They got them big singles when they needed to drive them in, and we didn't."
Furthermore, it was the style of fight they presented during game two, combatting quality pitching and winds against an electric offense.
The Hurricanes would finish the game with two hits and miss two chances to bring in runners from second. Early in the first two innings, the Canes would see them there but strand them then on.
Deacons starting pitcher Troy Dressler would start to deliver a gem of his own, while the Canes started to get out at hypersonic speeds. Up and down the Canes lineup, he would get, with no one giving him a real challenge.
"Part of that is, you know, ego, maybe, you know, and when you get a pitch to hit, just put it, you know, a hard line drive somewhere, it's good enough," Arteaga said. "The wind's going out, it hit the ball harder, but the air is, it's a legal yard, but not good today. It just got hit perfectly in the right trajectory, in the right spot. You know, so, you're gonna be willing to take what they give us."
It also didn’t help that sophomore starter Lazaro Collera was having a sound start, going seven innings. He would give up two runs that even this offense couldn't overcome.
The Deacons would add in another run at the top of the eighth. However, the Canes would respond right back. Daniel Cuvet would get the chance to give the team a spark, and he did with an RBI single that bringing in Fabio Peralta.
Moreover, with two outs, the Canes have done their best hitting of the season in that spot. Alex Sosa would get walked, and it was down to Derek Williams with two runners on. Williams has been the Canes' best and most clutch hitter all season.
In game one, Williams brought in the go-ahead runs to give the Canes the lead. This time with that chance, he struck out fighting with a full count. It would be the final chance the Canes would get, going down quickly in the bottom of the ninth.
The Hurricanes will return to Mark Light Field for the rubber match at 1:00 p.m. ET for a massive series-clinching game.
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.
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