ORLANDO -Junior left-handed pitcher Mike Mercadante struck out seven batters in five innings to lead UCF to an 8-3 victory over Wagner Tuesday evening at Jay Bergman Field. The Golden Knights won their sixth straight game to improve to 16-4 overall while Wagner dropped to 2-6.
Mercadante (1-0) made his first career start and recorded his first collegiate victory with five solid innings. The southpaw yielded six hits and just one earned run with three walks and the career-high seven strikeouts.
The UCF offense scored one run in the first and three in the third to give Mercadante a 4-1 lead. In the third, Clay Timpner had the big hit with a two-run double down the right field line while Ryan Bono added a RBI-single for the Golden Knights.
Wagner scored single runs in the third, sixth and ninth innings while UCF used a four-run eighth to put the game out of reach.
Timpner had a big night as he extended his hitting streak to 18 games with a 3-for-5 performance. He stole two bases, scored two runs and drove in a pair for the victors.
The Golden Knights pounded out 13 hits overall, including two by Bono and shortstop Jon Cooper (2-for-4, 2 RBI).
UCF looks for the series sweep Wednesday evening as senior Burt Clark gets the start on the mound. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at Jay Bergman Field.
Baseball Wins Sixth Straight With 8-3 Victory Over Wagner
Share