Infielders Provide Walk-Off Hits

Infielders Mark Sobolewski and Gus Menendez came up with walk-off hits this past weekend against Georgia Tech.

On Saturday freshman 3B Mark Sobolewski ripped an inside fastball over the outfield fence for a three-run homer in the bottom of the 11th inning. It was Sobolewski’s third homer of the season, second in three games.

“I was 0-for-4 at that point, but I finally put a charge into one and we got the win,” Sobolewski said. “It felt great. It was my first big hit in an ACC game that really changed the game.”

Sobolewski is hitting .317 this season with three home runs and his 35 runs batted in ranks second on the team behind Yonder Alonso’s 40 runs batted in.

“I’m happy with how I’ve done so far,” said Sobolewski, who was an All-American at Sarasota High School last year. “I don’t think I’ve done as well as I could have this year and I think the best is yet to come.”

With Sobolewski putting together a fine season, senior IF Gus Menendez has had a hard time finding at-bats. On Sunday Menendez took advantage of being in the lineup as the team’s designated hitter, one spot behind Sobolewski in the batting order.

Menendez hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the game at 7-7.

In the bottom of the ninth, Menendez delivered once again with a one-out RBI single to win the game for the Hurricanes.

“I’ve never had anything like that at this stage,” said Menendez, who played at South Alabama and Miami-Dade before UM. “It didn’t hit me during the game, but later that night after dinner when I was watching the at-bats. It was a great feeling to just take it in. It was something special and that I will always remember.”

Menendez, a senior from Coral Gables, is hitting .292 this year with 14 hits in 48 at-bats. He has played in 21 of the 34 games this year making 11 starts.

“It’s been an up and down year,” Menendez said. “I started off the season feeling pretty good at the plate, but then I stopped playing some. Then I got myself into a little funk. This week I got more playing time and I’m in a better rhythm.”

TONIGHT AT 7 PM: Miami (20-14) will travel to Florida International (17-18) for a mid-week contest. UM is 1-0 against FIU this year with a 10-9 victory on April 4. LHP Manny Miguelez (0-1, 7.34 ERA) is expected to start for the Hurricanes.