ORLANDO – Freshman pinch hitter Adam Tindle sliced a two-run single to right field in the top of the ninth inning to lead Stetson to a 10-9 victory over No. 23 UCF Friday evening at Jay Bergman Field. The Hatters scored four runs in the ninth inning to snap UCF’s 11-game winning streak. With the win, Stetson moved to 17-8 overall and 7-0 in the A-Sun while UCF dropped to 21-5 and 8-2 in the conference.
Stetson scored the four runs in the ninth inning with two outs for the comeback victory. UCF was 12-0 on the season when leading after seven innings on the year. The Golden Knights were also 17-1 in 2004 when they outhit the opposition. UCF outhit the Hatters 12-10 Friday evening.
The two teams combined for 19 runs, 22 hits and five errors in a game that lasted three hours and thirty-five minutes. The Golden Knights were
Stetson started the scoring with two runs in the first before UCF answered with two runs of its own in the home half of the first. Stetson grabbed a 3-2 lead in the third on a Bryan Zenchyk double.
UCF answered again in the bottom of the third on a RBI-triple by Dee Brown and a RBI-single off the bat of Ryan Bono to give the Knights a 4-3 lead.
Stetson tied the game again in the fourth when John DeStefano drove in a run on a fielder’s choice.
A three-run fifth lifted UCF to a 7-4 lead. Brown added another RBI on a single and Marshall Bernhard drilled a two-run triple for the three-run outburst for the Golden Knights.
Stetson added a pair of runs in the sixth with two unearned runs. UCF second baseman Kevin Richmond started the inning with an error which led to the two unearned runs for the Hatters.
A sacrifice fly by Clay Timpner in the sixth extended the lead to 8-6.
In the ninth, UCF closer Tim Bascom walked four straight batters with two outs to force an 8-8 tie game. After Jay Bergman went to his bullpen for Mike Mercadente, Tindle delivered the clutch, two-out, two-RBI single to give the Hatters a 10-8 lead for good.
UCF made things interesting in the ninth as the first two batters of the inning reached second and third with no outs. Timpner started the ninth with a triple to left field and pinch hitter David Mann followed with a walk and steal of second. After a sacrifice fly by Brown, Bono struck out looking and Bernhard grounded out to second to end the game.
Stetson reliever Ryan Heacox moved to 5-0 with the win. Ryan Dixon tallied his third save of the season while Bascom dropped to 3-2 with the loss.
Timpner was 3-for-4 with three runs scored including two doubles and a triple while Brown was 2-for-3 with four RBI and two runs. Bono also contributed three hits for the Golden Knights.
UCF sends its two aces to the mound Saturday in a doubleheader beginning at noon. Saturday’s two games will air live on Sunshine Network as Matt Fox gets the start in game one and Kyle Bono is the scheduled starter in game two.
Four-Run Ninth Stops Baseball's 11-Game Win Streak
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