Different year, familiar ending.
The University of Miami collapsed in the bottom of the ninth Saturday, and the Florida Gators happily worsened the misery with another clutch performance in a 5-4 walk-off victory.
With one out and the bases loaded after a UM error, balk, walk, wild pitch and subsequent walk, Nolan Fontana smacked a game-ending single to put the Gators one victory away from an NCAA regional championship.
It was the Hurricanes’ seventh consecutive loss to the Gators and 10th in their past 11 meetings. All four UM errors led to Gator runs, reminiscent of last year’s super regional finale in Gainesville, where the Canes committed seven errors to be eliminated by the Gators.
UM has made 16 errors in its past five games of NCAA regional and super regional play, dating to 2010.
“We made errors, and that cost us the game,’’ said UM coach Jim Morris, whose team began to implode after he brought in right-handed reliever Travis Miller to replace left-handed reliever Sam Robinson with one out in the ninth. Robinson had pitched brilliantly for 2 1/3 innings, retiring all seven batters he faced.
“It was righty-righty with Miller [against Daniel Pigott],’’ Morris said. “That’s what we always do in the bullpen, and I didn’t want to overextend Robinson where he couldn’t pitch [Sunday]. Miller is used to getting right-handed hitters out.’’
But not this time.
The Gators (47-16), ranked No. 1 in the nation by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball, will meet the winner of the noon elimination game between the No. 2 seed Hurricanes (37-22) and No. 3 seed Jacksonville Dolphins (37-23). Left-handed freshman ace Bryan Radziewski (9-2, 3.30 ERA) will pitch for the Hurricanes.
In the ninth, after Robinson struck out Tyler Thompson, Pigott got on when shortstop Stephen Perez bobbled a routine grounder. Miller was called for a balk, sending Pigott to second. Vickash Ramjit walked. Enter UM closer Daniel Miranda. Miranda threw a wild pitch to put runners on second and third, and then walked Cody Dent.
With a spirited UF crowd repeatedly screaming, “Let’s go Gators!’’ Fontana got the game-winning hit.
“To say the least, it’s exciting,’’ said Fontana, who was swarmed by the jubilant Gators as he rounded first base at McKethan Stadium. “We’ll enjoy it. But [Sunday], it’s another day.’’
Gators closer Tommy Toledo (5-3) pitched the ninth to earn the victory. Miller (2-2) got the loss.
UM wasted several opportunities. In the fifth, Harold Martinez and Rony Rodriguez struck out to end the inning, stranding runners on first and second. In the eighth, UM stranded runners on first and third when Zeke DeVoss struck out. In the ninth, the Canes got a leadoff double from Nathan Melendres and left him stranded when Martinez again struck out looking and pinch-hitter Chantz Mack grounded out to the pitcher.
The Gators went ahead 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth on a play involving two UM errors, then scored another in the same inning to ignite the Gainesville crowd of 3,565. Ramjit, who played his freshman season in 2009 for the Hurricanes, led off with a single that skipped off the glove of UM third baseman Brad Fieger. Ramjit scored when left fielder Rodriguez bobbled a single by Fontana. Rodriguez threw to second baseman DeVoss, who fired an errant throw to first in an attempt to catch Fontana off the bag. Fontana subsequently scored on Preston Tucker’s double over right fielder Dale Carey’s head to make it 4-2 Gators.
The Canes got one back in the sixth when Fieger singled home Carey, who doubled down the left-field line. They tied it in the seventh on a leadoff single by DeVoss, a sacrifice bunt by Melendres and an RBI single by Rodriguez.
UM started the scoring with a run each in the third and fourth innings. By the end of the third, UF coach Kevin O’Sullivan was steaming mad at home-plate umpire Tim Vessey for his pitch calls on DeVoss, who walked after a full count. O’Sullivan stormed halfway out of the dugout before the final pitch, waving his finger toward Vessey, who tore off his facemask and barked something back. The crowd booed mightily, and DeVoss walked on the next pitch to put runners on first and third. With one out, Melendres hit a sacrifice fly to center to bring home Fieger, who had led off with a double. The Hurricanes scored again in the fourth on a single by Martinez and a double by Perez to make it 2-0.
The Gators tied it at 2-2 on their next at-bat with doubles by Tucker, Zunino and Thompson.
