Canes Drop Game 1

Miami lost their opener in the ACC tournament, which puts them into the loser's bracket early in this double elimination tournament. The loss marked Cesar Carillo's second in as many starts, as well as it was his second career loss. With the loss the Canes have now lost 5 consecutive games, which is an unpleasant first in the Jim Morris era.

For a baseball fan, yesterday's game was a good one. The final score was 2 - 1, and the game was highlighted by strong pitching from both clubs, both of which were led by their aces. Unfortunately for Canes fans, it was just that NC State's Andrew Brackman outdueled Miami's Cesar Carillo yesterday.

NC State also deserves credit for turning to their outstanding closer, Joey Devine, in the 8th inning - instead of waiting for the "traditional" closer's time of the 9th. This was particualrly important as the Canes had their 3, 4, and 5 hitters due to the plate (All-Americans Ryan Braun and Jon Jay, plus Danny Valencia). Devine came in and did his job. Had the Wolfpack used another arm from their bullpen in the 8th, yesterday's outcome could have been different.

What's interesting for the Canes is the unusual lineup they used yesterday. Walter Diaz, normally the team's second baseman, played shortstop, while Roger Tomas, who is normally the shortstop, played second. The Figueroa brothers also swapped roles at the top of the batting order, with Paco leading off and Danny dropping from his customary spot to the second hole. It's usually not the mark of a championship team to change such things up during the post-season. With the way the Canes have been playing of late, I suppose that's stating the obvious.

Other Tournament News:

• Wake Forest was eliminated, after a 9-8 loss to top seeded Georgia Tech last night. The Terps, along with Duke, Maryland, and Va Tech, can now enjoy the scenes and sites of Jacksonville at their leisure. We'll see more teams go the 0-2 and a barbeque route today.
• Miami faces Clemson this morning at 10 am. One of these top teams will be eliminated quickly (Miami is the #3 seed, Clemson is #2).
• #1 Georgia Tech faces #4 Florida State tonight in the late game. The winner here will likely be playing late into the weekend. Both teams won close games yesterday (with FSU needing extra innings).