Potentially on the NCAA Tournament bubble, Miami lost 12-2 to last-place California in eight innings at the ACC Tournament on Tuesday morning in Durham, North Carolina. Miami will have to wait until Memorial Day to learn their NCAA Tournament fate when the brackets are announced at 12 PM ET on ESPN2.
California took the lead in the top of the second inning on a two-run home run by eighth-place hitter Alex Birge. The Golden Bears blew the game open with a seven-run fourth inning. Miami walked four, hit a batter and committed an error in the seven-run Cal fourth inning. Miami allowed seven walks and hit four Cal batters in the game.
A single by ninth-place hitter Ethan Kodama extended the California lead to 3-0. An error by Miami extended the California lead to 4-0. A P.J. Moutzouridis scored two to put Cal ahead 6-0. A hit batter with the bases loaded made it 7-0 Cal and Carl Schmidt had a two-run single for a seven-run fourth and a 9-0 lead.
California pitcher Oliver de la Torre dominated Miami. de la Torre pitched six innings, holding Miami scoreless on two hits with no walks and seven strikeouts. Miami pitcher Griffin Hugus, who was second-team All-ACC, pitched three innings, allowing four runs on three hits with three walks and one strikeout.
Miami used X pitchers. Miami head coach J.D. Arteaga went to closer Brian Walters in the seventh inning to likely prevent California from going ahead by 10 runs to put the mercy rule in effect and for him to get work in with the hope they will still receive an NCAA Tournament berth.
Walters allowed a run on two hits with a walk and a strikeout as California went ahead 10-0 in the seventh inning. Dominic Smaldino had an RBI single to put Cal in position to earn the run rule victory. Miami answered in the bottom of the seventh with a two-run HR by Tanner Smith to keep Miami alive and extend the game.
California put itself in position to run-rule Miami again when Birge hit his second HR of the game in the top of the eighth inning to put the Golden Bears ahead 12-2. After allowing the HR to Smith, Ethan Foley held Miami scoreless in the eighth as Cal eliminated Miami in eight innings.
Miami entered Tuesday 32nd in the NCAA RPI and California was 107th. How far Miami drops in the RPI will likely have a major factor in determining if the Hurricanes receive an NCAA Tournament berth. The loss to Cal dropped Miami to 9-8 versus quadrant two opponents and the Hurricanes are 9-14 against quad one.