Absolute pain.
The Miami Hurricanes fell to Louisville 3-2 in game three of the Louisville Super Regional, coming one run short of their dream of reaching Omaha for the first time since 2016.
The vibes were good early on. Miami took a 2-0 lead in the third when Max Galvin put one over the wall in right field. The lead would last until the fourth, when Louisville rolled a double play ball to second that Miami couldn’t quite get to first in time to end the inning, and the tying run scored to even the game at 2.
The game turned in the sixth and seventh innings for the Canes. Miami had the bases loaded with one out in the top of the sixth, and the Cardinals’ pitchers was suddenly struggling to throw strikes. However, Renzo Gonalez lined it back to the pitcher, who threw home and on to first for a crushing double play that energized the home crowd.
In the seventh, Will Smith got the first two hitters before Jake Munroe got a single. He advanced to second on an 0-2 wild pitch. And that advancement proved ruinous, as Eddie King Jr. lofted a fly ball to center that Michael Torres – who was extremely deep in center field – dove for, but the ball bounced off his glove to plate Munroe.
Daniel Cuvet doubled to the right field corner with one out in the eighth, but long fly ball outs to the warning track by Dorian Gonzalez, Jr. and Derek Williams painfully ended the inning.
Miami got two straight on via the walk with one out (and should have been three straight because “strike three” to Renzo Gonzalez was half a foot off the plate), but Torres struck out looking on a 2-2 fastball over the plate. The Canes’ last hope, Jake Ogden flied out to center on a full count to end it in misery for Miami.
A true gut punch end of the season, but it was one that ended up showing significant promise in the end after a rollercoaster ride through the regular season. Lots more to discuss about this year and next ahead, but for now, use this to talk about the game/season.
Go Canes!