Ron Fraser Flashback: Hurricanes Channel Past to Save Season vs. Louisville

When the Miami Hurricanes were in trouble in Saturday’s Super Regional game against Louisville, their season hanging in the balance, it took a throwback moment to the legendary Ron Fraser to save the season.

Louisville, already leading 4-1 in the top of the fourth inning, had loaded the bases with two outs. Canes reliever Carson Fisher entered the game earlier than planned to try to put out the fire and keep Miami in the game.  

That’s when the Hurricanes ran an amazing pickoff play to get out of the inning. Fisher pivoted and threw to second baseman Dorian Gonzalez who chased Kamau Neighbors toward third and flipped to Daniel Cuvet who tagged Neighbors out.

The Hurricanes seized on the momentum when Jake Kulikowski came through with a two-out RBI single to right-center to make it 4-2. Then Jake Ogden crushed a fastball over the fence in left-center for a three-run homer and the Hurricanes suddenly had a 5-4 lead.

It was the pivotal moment in an eventual 9-6 Miami victory that extended the season to a winner-go-to-Omaha game Sunday at noon. ESPN will televise.

”You know, I’ve been saying it all year, this team is special,” Miami Coach J.D. Arteaga said. “ there’s something about this team, there’s no quit in them. Every day is a new day.

” I can go on and on about these guys. We get to play at least one more day of baseball and I love it.”

The Hurricanes seemed destined to win from that point, momentarily losing the lead in the top of the seventh inning only to get it back in the bottom of the inning and then put it away on Daniel Cuvet’s three-run homer in the eighth inning.

Miami had taken the lead early on an RBI single by Michael Torres in the second.

But Louisville fought right back in the third off Miami ace Griffin Hugus with an RBI single by Zion Rose and then a two-run homer by Eddie King that gave the Cardinals a 3-1 lead.

Hugus’ record coming into Saturday’s game certainly didn’t scare the Cardinals, who were being aggressive at the plate. Hugus came in with a 6-7 record and a 3.90 ERA.

But Hugus was not Miami’s Friday night starter all year without reason, despite the uneven results. And Hugus was a rock for Miami at Regionals when he threw 123 pitches in a complete game win over Columbia (allowing one run).  

With the Miami season on the line, there was no better place for the Hurricanes to turn. The moment was just getting a bit too big and Miami Coach JD Arteaga had to make a change.

After Jalen Monroe blasted his third homer of the weekend, this time a solo shot to left-center to make it 4-1, Arteaga pulled Hugus and went to the bullpen with Rob Evans and then Carson Fisher to try to stabilize things.

The bases were loaded with two outs when Fisher entered. The game was certainly on the line. That’s when Miami ran that amazing pickoff play to get out of the inning and change the momentum of the game.

In the top of the seventh, King hit another homer to momentarily tie the game.

But that’s when Gonzalez led off the bottom of the inning with a double and Renzo Gonzalez drove him home with an opposite field single to left to put the Canes back in front.

Daniel Cuvet’s three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth sealed the victory.

Closer Brian Walters, who retired the side in the eighth, ran into all kinds of trouble in the ninth, failing to record an out as Louisville quickly got the tying run to the plate.

But Arteaga had no place else to turn. It was Walters’ game and he settled down and retired the side to send Miami into Game 3 on Sunday.