Lazaro Collera was the star on the mound as the Miami Hurricanes secured a nail-biting 8-6 victory over Clemson on Saturday. Collera's performance was a masterclass in control, as he pitched six scoreless innings, giving up just five hits and two walks while striking out two. This outing lowered his ERA to an impressive 3.67, and Miami remains unbeaten in his starts this season.
The Hurricanes, now sitting at 21-7 overall and 4-5 in the ACC, clinched their first conference series win. They kicked off the series with an 8-3 victory in extra innings on Thursday but stumbled slightly with a 7-6 loss on Friday.
Clemson, on the other hand, has hit a rough patch, dropping six of their last seven games to fall to 19-10 overall and 2-7 in conference play.
Miami's offense was powered by Derek Williams, who smashed a grand slam in the seventh inning, extending the Hurricanes' lead to a commanding 8-0. This was Williams' 10th homer of the season, bringing his RBI total to 43, just one short of his career-best from his Wichita State days. Alex Sosa also contributed with a solo shot, his ninth of the season, adding to Miami's power display.
Brylan West was a key contributor as well, collecting two hits and driving in two runs. Jake Ogden added to the offensive fireworks with a pair of doubles, while both Williams and Sosa doubled alongside their home runs.
The ninth inning got a bit tense when Ryan Bilka allowed a solo homer followed by a three-run shot from Jacob Jarrell, cutting the lead to 8-6. However, Bilka regained his composure, retiring the next two batters to seal the win.
Miami's early lead was built on Cuvet's base hit and West's groundout, making it 2-0 in the first. Sosa's third-inning homer extended it to 3-0, and West's sixth-inning single pushed it further to 4-0.
Lyndon Glidewell faced some trouble in the seventh, allowing a two-run double to Tryston McCladdie, who had been a thorn in Miami's side with two homers the previous night. Packy Bradley-Cooney stepped in to get the final out of the seventh and managed a clean eighth inning to keep Miami in control.
With this victory, the Hurricanes are riding high, showcasing a blend of solid pitching and explosive hitting that could make them a formidable force as the season progresses.