The Miami Hurricanes blast 19 runs through seven innings, fueled by powerful bats and stellar pitching to overwhelm the Virginia Tech Hokies.
Coral Gables, Fla. – The Miami Hurricanes’ baseball program proved to still be explosive after a 19-1 outing against the Virginia Tech Hokies on Friday night. The game only lasted seven total innings. A combo of strong pitching and hot bats showed what the team is fully capable of doing.
The Hokies were the first to strike after starting senior left-handed pitcher Rob Evans walked shortstop Pete Daniel. Second baseman Ethan Ball, the following batter, tripled down to right field, getting the hit and the run-batted-in to punch the scoreboard at the top of the first inning. After two outs in the Hurricanes’ early opportunity to respond, junior catcher Alex Sosa hit the ball directly into starting senior left-handed pitcher Brendan Yagesh’s glove.
However, in the bottom of the second inning, fifth-year senior right-fielder Derek Williams hits his 12th home run of the season, a solo to tie the game, on the first pitch deep to left field. It reached 383 feet on a 103 exit velocity.
The action didn’t stop there as sophomore center fielder Fabio Peralta tripled down to right field on a full 3-2 count, allowing junior shortstop Vance Sheahan and freshman designated hitter Alonzo Alvarez to score. Immediately after, senior second baseman Jake Ogden hits a 2-run home run deep to left field on the first pitch, his fourth of the season. It reached 373 feet on a 98 exit velocity.
The Hurricanes led 5-1 entering the third inning.
Williams continued to attack offensively with a triple down to right field in the bottom of the third. Afterwards, first baseman Brylan West was hit by a pitch, getting on base. Followed by a successful Sheahan bunt, Williams scored his second run of the game.
The Hurricanes kept the scoring going after a wild pitch by junior left-handed pitcher Danny Lazaro, allowing left-fielder Dylan Dubovik to reach from third base to home safely. After intentionally walking junior third baseman Daniel Cuvet, leaving the bases loaded, Sosa hit a single to right-center field, bringing in a couple of more runs.
In the bottom of the third, with the bases loaded, two outs, and a 1-2 count, West joined the home-run party with a grand slam deep to left field. It reached 358 feet with an exit velocity of 92.
The Hurricanes led 14-1 entering the fourth inning.
The team’s offense kept surging after Alvarez hit a home run deep to left-center field on an 0-2 count. It reached 403 feet on a 102 exit velocity. Afterwards, Cuvet hit a double to left field, allowing Peralta to score, who doubled a couple of sequences earlier.
The Hurricanes pulled in a few more runs before the game was called to a finish.
"Every win is a big win, especially in this conference," coach J.D. Arteage told MiamiRoundtable. "If you don't show up, anybody can beat you. We found that out the first couple of weekends against [the Boston College Eagles] and Duke [Blue Devils]. First step to win the series is winning Friday night. It's actually a very good start offensively, defensively, pitching, it was a good start."
Evans retired before the start of the sixth inning. The senior finished with five innings pitched, four hits, one earned run allowed, and seven strikeouts. The 22-year-old recorded 85 total pitches and 50 strikes. Evans continues to put on a strong 2026 campaign.
“It means a lot [to finish the game on a good note],” he told MiamiRoundtable. “The way our offense hit today, I love that. As a pitcher, you want run support. Maybe a little too much at times, so I can sit on the bench for hours. I’ll take that rather than being in tight ball games. Stay focused and being out there inning by inning, taking it pitch by pitch, that’s the biggest thing for me. I’m really happy with today.”
The Hurricanes totaled 14 hits, leaving only five runners on base, and 16 runs-batted-in. Williams finished with two hits in three at-bats, three runs scored, and a run-batted-in. He believes the offense’s hitting was “contagious” throughout the rest of the lineup on Friday night.
“It just starts up from the top of the lineup,” the 23-year-old told MiamiRoundtable. “Some guys start hitting, start getting some guys on base, putting pressure on the pitcher, and then it just works its way down, keep passing the torch, play some team baseball, and just keep going through the lineup.”
The Hurricanes will prepare for a second outing against the Hokies on Saturday night.
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