Miami baseball avoids sweep at Virginia Tech

The Miami baseball team is 28-8 overall and 14-4 in the ACC after splitting its four games this week. Miami extended its winning streak to 14 games against Florida Atlantic with a 7-6 comeback win on Tuesday. Virginia Tech ensured Miami would lose its first ACC series of 2021 with wins in the first two games of the series.

Virginia Tech battered Miami aces Carson Palmquist and Karson Ligon in 12-5 and 13-2 victories in the first two games of their series in Blacksburg on Thursday and Friday. With Easter on Sunday, series were scheduled Thursday through Sunday this weekend. Miami avoided the sweep with an 8-5 win on Saturday.

On Wednesday Miami fell behind 6-2 after six innings. Miami scored two in the seventh and three in the eighth for a 7-6 victory. C.J. Kayfus, Yohandy Morales and Zach Levenson each had two hits for Miami in the final game of its more than three-week winning streak. Miami entered the week ranked second nationally.

J.P. Gates got the win in relief and Andrew Walters earned his 11th save. Walters is in a three-way tie for first nationally in saves. Miami remains in first place in the ACC where it began the weekend. The Hurricanes have not won an ACC regular-season championship since 2016. Miami won its only ACC Tournament in 2008.

Virginia Tech scored three in the first, one in the second and two in the fourth to knock out Palmquist. Palmquist pitched 3.1 innings allowing 10 hits, six earned runs with one walk and six strikeouts. It was the second bad start of the season for Palmquist against seven quality starts. Three Hurricanes had two hits each.

True freshman Ligon had his second straight sub-par start after seven straight outstanding outings to begin the 2022 season. Ligon allowed lasted 3.2 innings allowing nine runs, nine hits, eight earned, with two walks and three strikeouts. Virginia Tech scored four in the first, in the third and four in the fourth off of Ligon.

Virginia Tech added two runs in the fifth inning and two in the eighth. The Miami baseball team had single runs in the second and fifth. After Virginia Tech began the game on Saturday with a run in the bottom of the first, Miami answered with two in the third, fourth in the fifth and one in the seventh to surge ahead 7-1.

Virginia Tech scored four in the bottom of the seventh to close the deficit to two runs. Miami added a run in the ninth inning for an 8-5 victory. Kayfus had his third straight multi-hit game of the series and Yohandy Morales and Maxwell Romero matched him. Alejandro Rosario pitched 4.1 innings allowing one run in the start for Miami.

Alex McFarlane picked 1.2 innings in relief of Rosario with three strikeouts to earn the win. Walters pitched the final two innings for his 12th save. Miami was up to fifth nationally in the RPI through the game completed Thursday. The Hurricanes host Bethune-Cookman on Tuesday and Pittsburgh for three games next weekend.