(Photo Credit: Miami Athletics and Miami Hurricanes Baseball)
By Micah Beutell
Where do I begin? I am embarking on a journey to go to all 14 ACC ballparks in one season. We have hit the halfway mark and I have some really awesome things along the way. I did not expect to see such a special night like this. In a game that moved at a very quick pace, we saw a pitcher will his team and a staff who did their job until the 9th. This was the best baseball game I have seen on the journey and it isn't even close.
We saw our first bit of offense in the 1st when with the bases load Jason Torres grounded into a fielder's choice that made it 1-0. We saw Clemson respond with a solo home run from Alden Mathes to lead off the 2nd & a RBI fielder's choice by Nolan Nawrocki in the 3rd. From there we were treated to a pitching clinic. The Wofford transfers Matthew Marchal who got his first start of the season and Lucas Mahlstedt each went 4 innings and besides the RBI fielder choices in the 1st, no additional runs were allowed by those two. On the other side, Gage Ziehl pitched a complete game striking out 15 and bringing the energy needed to spark something special in the 9th.
It is real. Mark Light Magic is real. I am not sure how to describe it, but you could feel it. Fans clap along over their heads going into the bottom of the 9th and the dugout joined in. You have the baseball only mascot Miami Maniac leading "C-A-N-E-S Canes" chants and fans just dialed into every pitch. You can look at Rob Hughes inability to record an out that came from a walk on 3-2 count and a wild pitch that put the tying run in scoring position, as the reason the Tigers lost. I however believe it was "magic". A Miami offense that showed little pop all night gets Jack Scanlon to get into one that barely stays fair to win it. It was "magic" to keep it fair. It was "magic" that Miami has won 3 straight Game 1s at home versus Top 20 teams. It was "magic" in the air in Coral Gables. Some say Disney is the most magical place on Earth. It isn't even the most magical place in Florida. Mark Light Field is where the magic happens.
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