The Florida Gators secure the series as the weather halts Sunday's finale. The Miami Hurricanes' bats were silenced by dominant pitching, facing a humbling defeat.
Coral Gables, Fla. - As the 17-ranked Miami Hurricanes were looking to avoid a sweep against the No. 10 Florida Gators, who clinched the series after an 8–4 victory on Saturday, both coach J.D. Arteaga and coach Kevin O'Sullivan agreed to cancel Sunday's game.
After experiencing a weather delay and a lightning watch, the conditions weren't improving at Mark Light Field.
After surging offensively in the first 10 games of the season, averaging 15.5 runs, the Hurricanes struggled to get hits. They recorded 14 total in the two games against the Gators.
Junior catcher Alex Sosa and junior third baseman Daniel Cuvet were standout struggles from the batter's box. They combined for one base hit in seven at-bats and struck out six times.
Coach Arteaga told MiamiRoundtable on Saturday about how difficult it is for Cuvet to be a vocal point for pitchers and called out his decision-making in the box on Friday.
"He [Cuvet] swung at pitches that he shouldn't be swinging at," he said. "Just tried to do a little bit too much."
The Gators' pitching staff dominated in both games. They combined for 23 strikeouts, only recording one wild pitch, which came from Ricky Reeth on Saturday. It shows how few mistakes the Gators made on the mound, which left little wiggle room for the Hurricanes to score.
Before the series, coach Arteaga described the series as a "measuring stick" for the team. It was their first-ranked opponent of the season and an opportunity to make an early statement. However, it ended up being a humbling experience.
The Hurricanes have lost the previous 11 of 12 series matchups against the Gators, including six straight at Mark Light Field, which dates back to 2014. The SEC program reclaimed the all-time series: 138-136-1.
The Hurricanes will have an opportunity to turn the page, looking to bounce back on Wednesday against the unranked Bethune-Cookman Wildcats. They'll follow with a first taste of ACC action in a weekend series against the Boston College Eagles.
At some point, every team will face adversity, but the response is a strong reflection.
The Hurricanes' regular season record falls to 10-3 overall. The bullpen will need to improve after a struggling performance against the Gators. Getting strikes against hot batters is critical against high-caliber opponents, especially one that's ranked within the top-10 in the nation.
There are still a ton of opportunities for the team to sharpen up and prove to be a contender.
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