ORLANDO -- Dee Brown led the way for UCF with two hits as seven of the nine Golden Knight hitters recorded a hit in their 6-5 victory over the Belmont Bruins. Brown posted his only RBI of the game, driving in the Knights first run with a single to left-center in the first inning.
Belmont jumped on UCF starter Mark Michael early, putting up four runs in the first frame. All the damage was done with two outs in the inning as the Bruins pieced together four hits, one of which was a three run home run that was launched over the left field wall by Josh Brummett. Brummett added two more hits and scored a run in the game to go with his fifth long ball of the year.
The Golden Knights bounced back with two of their own in the first, with RBI’s coming off the bats of Brown and Jeremy Frost. UCF would eventually tie the game at four with single runs in the third and fourth. Clay Timpner doubled down the right-field line, stole third and trotted home on a Ty Hanson single in the third. Adam Miller led off the fourth and smoked a double over third base, allowing him to motor home when Jason Graham hit the 2-2 pitch up the middle for a single.
UCF’s lead was short lived as the Bruins used one run in the fifth to jump back on top with a 5-4 lead. The Knights took advantage of some sloppy play in the field by Belmont to post their last two runs of the game in the bottom of the sixth. Two UCF players crossed the plate on one hit and two throwing errors.
Belmont’s starter exited after six and Michael departed after 6.2 innings of work, leaving the close game in the hands of the relievers. Both teams’ bullpens did the job as neither the Knights or the Bruins scored the rest of the way. Michael gave up five runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and three walks. Shane Haas pitched just well enough to take the loss, giving up six runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and five walks. The games defense was a little suspect as both teams committed a combined seven errors and gave up three unearned runs. Belmont with two and UCF with one.
The crowd of 328 baseball fans was witness to two plays that are not seen every day on the diamond. The second out of the eighth inning came when Wade Walter hit a double, putting the tying run on second with one out and Brummett up to bat. Unfortunately for the Bruins Walter was called out on a UCF appeal at first for not touching the bag, making it two out and nobody on. The game ending play saw the tying run picked off at second when the runner was caught in no-mans land. It appeared as the though the batter was not able to check his swing and had struck out, ending the game. The umpire never made the call and the runner was on his way towards the dugout, not allowing him to get back to the bag in time.
UCF and Belmont wrap up their three game series Saturday, April 13 at Jay Bergman Field. The first pitch is scheduled to be thrown at 1:00 p.m. with live broadcast on 740 The Team.
UCF Sneaks Past Belmont
Share