The Wolfpack of NCS secured the series with three home runs, including a grand slam, winning the game 12-7.

Miami loses the series to the Wolfpack, 12-7, as the Canes’ defense—ranked as the worst in the ACC—struggles with three costly errors, a bullpen unable to halt the scoring surge, and hitters unable to come through in clutch moments, leaving twelve runners stranded on base.

The Wolfpack, energized by their 13-6 win last night, started strong, while Miami appeared to be running low on energy. The second inning marked a turning point when the defense faltered twice, with third baseman Gabriel Milano, filling in for Daniel Cuvet due to a back stress fracture, making two fielding errors. Miami’s offense surged in the fourth, batting around and scoring five runs to take a 5-2 lead. However, the Wolfpack regained momentum, tying the game at 5 in the 5th after Miami’s third defensive error of the game, which shifted the game’s dynamics. Miami added two runs in the sixth, briefly retaking the lead, but their bullpen struggled to sustain the effort, leading to a downward spiral. The grand slam in the eighth inning sealed the game, as Miami’s offense was unable to respond after the sixth. The Wolfpack scored seven unanswered runs to secure the victory.

The Miami offense was sluggish last night and carried into today, managing only a one-out single in the first three innings. The Miami defense didn’t help AJ Ciscar either, who had his own control issues. Since returning from his injury, AJ no longer seems to have the knockout punch that kept runners off the basepads. That, combined with a defense that is second-rate at best, left the offense playing catch-up going into the 4th inning, trailing 2-0 after two defensive errors in the second.

The Miami Bats rallied in the 4th inning, batting around and sending ten players to the plate to score five runs on five hits. The inning began with Galvin and Williams each getting consecutive hits, followed by Sosa drawing a walk to load the bases. West then drove the ball through the middle, bringing in two runs. With runners on first and second, Alvarez executed a sacrifice bunt that the third baseman mishandled, resulting in an error that allowed Sosa to score from second and West to advance to third. Milano then singled through the right side to bring West home, and Peralta added a single to left, giving Miami a 5-2 lead.

The three-run lead vanished as quickly as it was gained, and the Wolfpack responded in the 5th inning by tying the game with three runs. They started with a single, but a pivotal play shifted momentum. A perfect 4-6-3 double play went awry when Ogden’s relay to Sheahan sailed over Sheahan’s head. Instead of clearing the bases, the runners stayed on the corners, bringing Luke Nixon to the plate. AJ worked the count full before delivering a pitch that proved costly, allowing the Wolfpack to score three runs. Nixon hit his first of two home runs tonight—one of three the Pack hit—accounting for eight of their twelve runs. The game was tied at 5 after the fifth inning.

Once again, the offense found itself in catch-up mode, managing to do so one last time in the sixth inning. With the score tied at 5, the Canes responded with two runs on a Galvin RBI double, scoring Peralta—who was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning—and Ogden, who singled. That marked the end of their offensive contribution, as they simply ran out of steam and couldn’t keep pace with a bullpen that surrendered seven unanswered runs.

With AJ leaving in the seventh inning after giving up Nixon’s second home run, the bullpen rotation commenced, with three pitchers moving from the bullpen to the mound and then back to the dugout as the State offense scored two more runs, taking the lead at 8-7.

Miami mounted a rally in the 8th inning, loading the bases with three hits from Peralta, Galvin, and Williams. It seemed destined for a storybook ending as Alex Sosa stepped up to the plate, facing a crowd that had once cheered for him as one of their own. Miami fans hoped for a game-changing moment, but it ended in disappointment with a first-pitch groundout, 4-3.

A couple of BP changes, Miami’s 5th, brought TJ Coats to the mound to deliver the crushing conclusion to Miami’s chance to get back into the ballgame for a 9th-innings comeback. The one-run deficit turned into five when Sherman Johnson delivered the Grand Salami to deep left, putting a major miracle on the board for some Miami Magic. At the end of the 8th, the Wolfpack took a commanding 12-7 lead.

Miami Magic was in the making, starting the 9th with West opening, reaching first on an E5 fielding error. Alvarez and Sheahan followed with singles to load the bases. The potential for a Magic Moment disappeared at that point, as Milano and Peralta both struck out, and Ogden ended the inning with a 6-3 groundout.

For the second consecutive game, Miami struggled without the long ball, and the Wolfpack capitalized, as eight of their 12 runs came on a single swing of the bat. Miami recorded 12 hits, with only one extra-base hit. Max Galvin led the offense, going 4-5, including the team’s only double. Derek Williams also contributed significantly, going 3-5. The team was just 1-5 with the bases loaded, struck out ten times, and left twelve men on base. Playing small ball and failing to move the line proved costly in this game.

What also doesn’t win ballgames is the lack of pitching; without it, victory is unlikely. AJ struggled, hindered by insufficient support from a defense that placed extra pressure on the pitching staff. The bullpen received poor grades for failing to perform their duties, as seen too often. Frank Menendez, whom we had high hopes for upon his return, lasted only one batter before being relieved after walking him. Six runs on ten hits given up by AJ is not the performance you’d want from your starter.

Two more series remain to correct our course before the Tournament and postseason play. If we cannot improve our BP performance and stabilize our starting rotation, which has become questionable, we risk an early postseason exit. FIU presents our last opportunity on Tuesday at 6 PM, followed by two crucial ACC series against Louisville and a decisive test against FSU.