ORLANDO - Eight different Knights homered to lead UCF baseball to a 23-3 triumph over Central Michigan on Sunday afternoon at John Euliano Park.
Braden Calise and Matt Prevesk were top dogs in the contest, earning their season-highs for RBIs to give UCF its fifth series victory over the last six weekends. The eight home runs ties a single-game program record for the Black and Gold. Sunday marked UCF’s Bark in the Park promotional game.
“The at-bats were on it from the very beginning,” said head coach Rich Wallace. “The energy and toughness were there and the execution followed along. Eight different guys hit home runs in this game and it was pretty amazing. I have never seen anything quite like it before.”
UCF’s (24-13, 8-10 Big 12) pitching staff also had a strong game, only allowing CMU (13-27, 5-13 MAC) three runs. Cade Boxrucker started and surrendered just two runs (one earned) over 3.1 innings, while Dominic Castellano followed by allowing just one unearned run on one hit over 1.2 innings to move to 4-0 on the season. Najer Victor and Chase Centala finished things off by each tossing a scoreless inning apiece in the seven-inning run-rule victory.
Offensively, the Black and Gold recorded a new season-high in runs by scoring 23 runs in the contest. The squad also tied their record for home runs in an inning, swinging four in the fourth inning. The eight home runs from eight different players ties the previous record that was set last season against North Florida on May 2, 2023.
Prevesk and Andrew Williamson led the Knights offensively with three hits. Danny Neri and Andrew Brait both scored three runs for the squad. Neri tied his career-high of three runs in a game and his first mult-run game as a Knight. Andrew Estrella and Matt Cedarburg both knocked the ball out of the park fresh out of the dugout in the bottom of the sixth. Braden Calise and Prevesk both earned four RBIs in the contest. Calise earned a new career-high while Prevesk marked his season-high. Brait, Estrella, Jack Zyska, Cedarburg, Prevesk, Calise, Neri, and Mikey Kluska all homered for the Black and Gold in the ballgame.
The Knights were quick on to get the momentum going with a single from AJ Nessler. He advanced to second as Brait singled on an error. Prevesk earned his first RBI with a single that gave Nessler the opportunity to score. Calise singled to the right side and drove in his first RBI as Brait ran home to give UCF an early 2-0 lead after one inning of action.
CMU scored at the top of the second but Boxrucker quickly retired the remaining batters. In the bottom of the inning, Neri went to first base after an infield single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Kluska, and ran to third on a wild pitch. Nessler singled and Neri earned the third run for the Knights.
After a scoreless third inning, the Chippewas tied it up in the top of the fourth with Drew Loikits and Cole Prout running home on a throwing error. The Knights defense did not allow anymore runs for the remainder of the contest.
In the fourth, the squad caught Knights Fever and sent four balls out of the park. Neri, Brait, Zyska and Prevesk each swung a home run in the bottom of the fourth. Nessler bunted to first and the homer from Brait sent them both home to tally five runs.
UCF followed that up by tallying 10 runs in the fifth inning, marking the first time the Knights have scored 10 runs in an inning since April 10, 2022 versus Memphis. Williamson kicked off the inning with a single before quickly advancing to third on an error on a failed pickoff. Neri walked on ball four to first and Kluska sent Williamson home with a sacrifice fly to center field. Nessler also walked on the fourth ball and advanced Neri to second. Brait also worked a walk to load the bases. Neri and Nessler were able to score after a single from Lex Boedicker bases-loaded hit by pitch from Zyska. Prevesk singled to the left and earned his third RBI with Brait and Boedicker scoring. Calise belted out his first collegiate home run to left-center to send himself, Zyska and Prevesk back to home plate. Williamson tripled for the first time this season and Neri drove him home with a sac fly. Kluska homered for the second time in the series, marking the 10th run scored in the fifth and the 18th run overall.
Estrella entered the game in the sixth inning and continued the momentum with a home run. Boedicker walked on the fourth ball and Cedarburg followed with a pinch-hit two-run home run to right. Anthony Calabro entered the game and was hit by a pitch to advance to first. Calise walked and Calabro advanced to second. On a wild pitch, both advanced to second and third, respectively. Calise scored on a single hit from Williamson. Calabro earned the fifth run of the sixth with a sacrifice fly to the right from Kluska.
The Chippewas were unable to advance past first base in the seventh and the run rule ended the contest after the top of the seventh.
UCF not only set a season-high in runs scored with 23 in the ballgame, but also a season-high in hits with 20. After dropping Friday's opener to CMU, the Black and Gold responded by scoring 40 runs over the final two games to claim the series.
The Knights will continue the eight-game homestand by hosting FGCU on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and will return to Big 12 Conference play next weekend (April 26-28) when Cincinnati visits John Euliano Park.