No. 23 UCF Completes Sweep Of JU With 9-7 Win

JACKSONVILLE - Dee Brown was 2-for-5 with a two-run home run to propel No. 23 UCF past Jacksonville 9-7 Sunday afternoon at Alexander Brest Field in Jacksonville. Brown had two of UCF’s 16 hits as the Golden Knights completed their first series win and series sweep of Jacksonville since the 2000 season. With the win, the Golden Knights improved to 27-5 overall and 13-2 in the Atlantic Sun.

Brown had a huge week for the Golden Knights as he finished 7-for-12 with three home runs and 12 RBI in four games. Brown, who hit three home runs as a freshman in 2002, failed to hit a homer in 2003.

UCF starter Matt Fox (8-0), who missed practice time this week due to illness, gutted out a strong six-inning performance for the Golden Knights. Despite not having his best fastball, Fox limited Jacksonville to just three runs on seven hits with five strikeouts. Fox leads the conference with his perfect 8-0 record.

Clay Timpner started the game with a single, stole second and scored on a RBI-single off the bat of Matt Ray. Timpner recorded three stolen bases on the day for UCF.

Jacksonville scored three runs on four hits in the second to take a 3-1 lead. Logan James drove in a pair with a double to center and Pete Clifford dropped a bloop single to left-center for JU’s three-run frame.

UCF closed the gap to 3-2 in the fifth inning when Kevin Richmond stole home after Clay Timpner was caught in a run down. Richmond waited as Timpner kept running back and forth from first to second base before JU tried to get Richmond at the plate.

Chandler Rose doubled to the fence in center field in the sixth to tie the game at three. Rose’s double brought home Dee Brown from first after Brown singled to reach base. The two-out rally continued for the Golden Knights as Drew Butera laced a single to center to plate Rose giving UCF a 4-3 lead.

Timpner led off the seventh with what looked to be a routine fly out to right field, but JU right fielder Daniel Murphy dropped the ball and Timpner advanced to third. On the same play, JU second baseman Sean McHugh tried to throw out Timpner at third, but the throw sailed high and Timpner scampered home on the play.

Ray followed with a single before Brown crushed his third home run of the week with a two-run shot to left field to increase the lead to 7-3. The big inning continued for the Golden Knights as Butera drove in two more runs with a single to increase the lead to 9-3.

Jacksonville got two runs back in the home half of the seventh with a RBI-double off the bat of Clifford and a RBI-double by pinch hitter Jon Galui to cut the deficit to 9-5.

JU made things quite interesting in the ninth as the Dolphins loaded the bases with just one out, but JU could only muster two runs to close out the scoring at 9-7.

UCF returns to the diamond Tuesday vs. Bethune-Cookman. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at Jay Bergman Field.