ORLANDO — UCF took advantage of an excellent six innings of relief work by Von David Stertzbach to defeat Temple 9-5 on a clear Sunday afternoon at Jay Bergman Field.
UCF was also helped by the Owls pitching as they put ten men on base via the walk and three by hitting the batter with a pitch. Temple also let the Knights run wild, as UCF would steal seven bases.
Rich Wallace brought back memories of his freshman year when he shattered the school record for getting hit by a pitch, getting plunked 16 times, when he was the recipient of all three bean balls in the game.
Stertzbach entered the game in the third inning, replacing starter Brad Busbin. Stertzbach proceeded to pitch six innings of shut out ball, while scattering three hits and sending four back to the bench with strikeouts.
UCF opened the scoring in the first with three runs on no hits. The Knights received four consecutive walks and Wallace was hit by a pitch to bring in UCF’s first two runs. The third run of the inning came on a ground ball that was turned into a short to second to first double play. Temple came firing back in the top of the second to tie the game at three. The Owls used three singles and a free pass to tie the game. Temple took its first and only lead of the game in the fourth inning when the designated hitter, Keith Ramsey led the inning off with a long ball to right field. Busbin would face two more batters on the day, giving up a walk and a single before he was yanked with no outs and two on.
Stertzbach came in and shut the door on the Owls and the only players crossing home until the ninth were wearing black and gold. UCF posted two in the fifth, which was started when Mike Myers took his third straight walk of the game. Adam Miller trotted down to first the same as Myers and would eventually cross home on a Ryan Bear sacrifice fly to center. Myers had previously crossed the plate on a ground out to short by Dee Brown.
UCF put up two more runs in the seventh, which were their first two runs of the game scored off a hit. Miller singled in Clay Timpner and would eventually steal home on a double steal. UCF scored two more in the eighth with its last coming off Timpner’s second single in two innings.
The Knights made it tough on themselves once again, as they would give up one run and have the bases loaded with no outs in the ninth. Clint Wells who had come in to replace Stertzbach and pitch the ninth recorded his only out with a swinging strikeout before being replaced by Zach Sutton. Sutton inherited three base runners, but the Owls would score no more as Sutton got the first batter to foul out to third and the second to fly out to right on six pitches. This was Sutton’s first save of the year.
The Golden Knights now stand at 9-10 overall and 8-1 at home. They will be taking on Rhode Island University in their next game, which will be held at Jay Bergman Field at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 13.