FROM PRESS RELEASE
OMAHA, Neb. – A three-run first inning and a dominant pitching performance led Arizona to a 5- 1 win over Miami in its 2016 Men’s College World Series opener at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha.
Nathan Bannister and Cameron Ming combined for 14 strikeouts and held the Hurricanes to one run despite allowing nine hits. Bannister (12-2) earned the win with his seven innings of work.
Arizona set the tone in the top of the first, when it took advantage of a shaky start by Miami pitcher Michael Mediavilla. The Wildcats loaded the bases on a walk and two hit-by-pitches, then Kyle Lewis walked on four pitches to score Cody Ramer. A batter later, Jared Oliva dropped a single in right field to drive in Zach Gibbons and JJ Matijevic. Lewis tried to score on the play but was thrown out at the plate.
Miami got one run back in the fourth inning. Brandon Lopez doubled to left, and Christopher Barr drove him in with a single to right field. The Canes had the bases loaded with one out, but Edgar Michelangeli struck out, and Carl Chester hit into a force out to end the threat.
Arizona added two insurance runs in the fifth on a rally of four straight hits. After Louis Boyd doubled and Ramer singled, Gibbons hit them both in with a double down the right field line. He was thrown out trying to take third base.
Only two Wildcats reached base after the fifth inning, but Miami was unable to make up the deficit, despite getting runners into scoring position in five innings.
Mediavilla (11-2) took the loss for the Canes. He threw six innings, gave up all five runs and struck out three. Miami hit three doubles, and three different Hurricanes—Randy Batista, Willie Abreu and Jacob Heyward—collected two hits each.
Gibbons and Oliva each had two RBI for the Wildcats, and Gibbons had two hits and scored a run.
Miami (50-13) faces elimination against UC Santa Barbara on Monday at 1 p.m. central. Arizona (45-21) takes on Oklahoma State in the winners’ bracket on Monday at 6 p.m.
