CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami baseball team (28-18, 13-9 ACC) took down the 13th-ranked NC State Wolfpack, 6-4, Friday night at Mark Light Field. Sophomore Daniel Cuvet led Miami to victory as the infielder went 2-for-3 at the plate with two home runs and a season high of five RBI.
Right-hander Griffin Hugus (5-4) earned the win after allowing four runs—three earned—on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings. Carson Fischer and Alex Giroux combined for 2 2/3 scoreless frames in relief, while closer Brian Walters worked a clean ninth to notch his seventh save of the year.
Dominic Fritton took the loss for NC State (30-14, 15-7 ACC) in their defeat against Miami. Fritton allowed six earned runs on nine hits over 6 1/3 innings, striking out eight and walking one. The loss dropped his season record to 5-4.
The Hurricanes sparked their offense early when outfielder Max Galvin recorded Miami’s first hit of the game with a single. Sophomore slugger Daniel Cuvet, who entered Friday’s contest tied for the ACC lead with 56 RBI, added two more with a 424-foot blast to straightaway center, giving the Hurricanes a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
NC State would battle back in the top of the third when outfielder Josh Hogue plated Drew Lanphere with an RBI sacrifice fly, moving the score to 2-1.
Galvin kept the Hurricanes’ offense rolling in the third inning, ripping his 10th double of the season. Moments later, Daniel Cuvet launched his second home run of the night — a shot to left field that pushed Miami ahead, 3-1.
Cuvet became the third Hurricane this season to record a multi-homer game. Senior Dorian Gonzalez Jr. accomplished the feat twice, hitting two home runs against Villanova on March 5 and repeating the performance against Duke on April 13.
The Wolfpack would battle back in the top of the fourth as Luke Nixon plated Justin DeCriscio through an RBI single. Drew Lanphere reached on a fielder’s choice, driving in a run, while Nixon scored on a throwing error by Miami shortstop Jake Ogden, allowing NC State to tie the contest at four in the fourth inning.
With the game tied and more than 3,300 fans in attendance at Mark Light Field, Jake Ogden bounced back from an earlier infield error by leading off the bottom of the fifth with a double. He advanced to third on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Max Galvin. Moments later, Ogden stole home during Evan Taveras’ at-bat, giving the Hurricanes a 5-4 lead.
An extra insurance run came in the bottom of the seventh as Cuvet flied out to center field to bring in Ogden, giving the Hurricanes a 6-4 advantage after seven frames.
Brian Walters would appear on the bump in the ninth inning to deliver his seventh save of the season, closing the door on the 13th-ranked Wolfpack squad.
Miami will aim for its fifth-straight conference series win when the action continues Saturday at 6 p.m. at Mark Light Field. The game will be televised on ACC Network and available on the radio at WVUM 90.5 FM.
To stay up to date with the University of Miami baseball team, be sure to follow @canesbaseball on Instagram, X and Facebook
