Miami Outlast Louisville in Slugfest, Earning Series Win in Final Home Outing

CORAL GABLES — The Miami Hurricanes (35-15, 15-12 ACC) have been a battle-tested team all season, shuffling around. In the final home game of the regular season, it would be to find a way to finish a game, something they have struggled with all season.

The Hurricanes outlasted the Louisville Cardinals, and the All-Time ACC Single Season home run leader, Tague Davis, earning a series victory, 10-8, thanks to four home runs, nine earned runs, and 11 hits that barely squeezed the win.

Two of those home runs came from the graces of Miami's new home run leader, catcher and now first baseman Alex Sosa.

"He looked pretty good over there," head coach J.D. Arteaga said after the series victory.

Sosa entered this season as one of the best catchers in the country, but injuries forced the Canes to make some adjustments. Freshman catcher Alonzo Alveraz has played well behind the plate, so Sosa spent most of the weekend as the designated hitter. However, with Brylan West rolling his ankle in game two against the Cardinals, Sosa was called for the challenge, and he delivered in all aspects of the game.

"So I've never played first base before," Sosa joked after the game. "Wherever the team needs me, I know it sounds cliché, but I just wanted to win. I was looking a little lost sometimes. [Jake] Ogden was like 'move up a little bit,' and they just directed me."

Sosa would be the catalyst who pushed the Hurricanes over with five runs, but he also had some help from freshman Dylan Dubovik and senior Vance Sheahan, bombing two over the fence of their own.

It would also be a positive bullpen showing for the Canes, while in the midst of the dogfight, they would throw three zeros on the board, having their best outing in recent memory. Starter AJ Ciscar struggled letting up, but freshman Sebastian Santos-Olson and senior TJ Coats would put up great outings, outside of the monster hit from Davis, slowing down the Cardinals' offense.

"Ciscar going against their No. 4, I felt good about that," Arteaga said. "AJ didn't have the stuff today, but the bullpen was great. Obviously, for us, everyone knows it; it's not a strong suit of ours. We have a couple of freshmen with Santos-Olson, and Jake Dorso did an outstanding job. Coats came in and gave up those two runs, but he bounced back the next inning and put up a zero.

"It's everything, and I'm excited about it, but I'm looking for some consistency. We had to win this series. The amount of stress that and those guys coming in and our "ace" not having a good day, it was a great day from our bullpen."

Now the Hurricanes will look to do multiple things this weekend against No. 14 Florida State. They have a chance to boost their RPI, spoil a national seeding for their rivals, and also pick up a double-bye in the ACC Tournament all in one weekend.

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