ORLANDO -- UCF used good pitching and one big inning to take victory for the first time this season against the Bethune Cookman Wildcats. With the win the Knights now stand at 14-11 overall, and are riding a five game winning streak.
Bo Hall received his first start on the mound as a Golden Knight and made good use of the opportunity earning his first victory as a starter and second on the year. Hall kept the Bethune batters off balance threw his six innings of work as well as off the bases. He gave up two hits in six shutout innings of work. A single in the second and a double down the left-field line in the sixth. Hall recorded six strikeouts while throwing 76 pitches in a very successful and promising outing.
UCF pounced on the Wildcats starter, Jason Dooley, in the fourth inning, pushing five across on two hits, while taking advantage of two infield errors. Red-hot Clay Timpner started the rally off with a single up the middle and would advance to second when Rich Wallace was plunked for the eighth time this year. UCF went the old fashion route of attempting to manufacture a run with the next man up laying down a successful sacrifice bunt, advancing the runners. Dee Brown followed with a two RBI triple down the right-field line. Bethune helped the Knights to their next three runs as Dooley offered up two free passes and his infield were unable to make outs.
The Knights posted another run in the fifth when Ryan Bear tripled in Brown with a shot down the right-field line similar to Brown’s the inning before. UCF put up its final run in the eighth thanks to another infield error by the Wildcats.
Bethune attempted a short-lived comeback in the top of the ninth. They scored two runs on four hits, but the charge was halted when Zach Sutton induced Jose Vasquez into a game ending 643 double play.
UCF also received good pitching from Jason Graham and Nick Whidden who each threw one inning. Graham tossed a perfect seventh recording two strikeouts and Whidden threw a near perfect eighth only allowing one man to reach via a walk.
The big bat on the night belonged to Brown who was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI’s. With his performance tonight Brown brings his average back up over the .300 mark. Senior catcher Jeremy Frost also recorded two RBI’s on the night, giving him 13 on the season.
The Golden Knights will be in action next, when they travel to Jacksonville State to continue conference play. UCF will play one game on Friday, March 22 and a double header on Saturday, March 23. Friday’s game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. eastern time and will see right hander Mark Michael throw for UCF.
