Fox Leads No. 19 Baseball Past FAU 8-3
BOCA RATON – Matt Fox tossed his fourth complete game of the season to propel No. 19 UCF past No. 24 Florida Atlantic 8-3 in game one of a doubleheader Saturday in Boca Raton. Fox (9-0) improved to 9-0 on the season and won his eighth straight start. With the win, UCF raised its record to 29-6 and 14-3 in the A-Sun while FAU dropped to 27-8 and 7-7 in the conference.
Fox limited the Owls to three hits and struck out eight in 7.0 innings of work.
For the second time this season, Clay Timpner drilled a leadoff home run to right center to get things started for UCF in the first. The Golden Knights added two more runs, one via a throwing error by FAU starter Randy Beam and on a bases loaded walk to Drew Butera to give UCF a 3-0 advantage.
UCF continued its first inning magic in 2004 as the Golden Knights have outscored the opposition 44-12.
UCF continued its early scoring with two runs in the second on a two-run home run by Dee Brown. The fourth homer of the year for Brown extended the UCF lead to 5-0. Brown’s home run left no doubt as it cleared the scoreboard in right field.
Brown turned a pickoff into a double steal in the fifth as Matt Ray scampered home from third base to extend the lead to 6-0. Brown looked to be picked off heading for a steal of second, but he caught FAU in a run down which led Ray to come home. Marshall Bernhard added another run with a sacrifice fly to increase the score 7-0.
The Golden Knights added another run in the sixth before FAU finally got on the scoreboard with a three-run sixth including two unearned runs off Fox.
The multi-home run game for the UCF offense was the third this season. Both Matt Ray and Dee Brown went 4-for-4 to lead the Golden Knights.
No. 24 FAU Tops No. 19 Baseball 7-4
BOCA RATON – Freshman pitcher Mike Crotta pitched four innings and allowed just one earned run with four strikeouts to lead No. 24 Florida Atlantic to a 7-4 victory over No. 19 UCF. The two teams split Saturday’s doubleheader with UCF winning game one of the twinbill 8-3.
The loss dropped the Golden Knights to 29-7 overall and 14-4 in the A-Sun while FAU raised its record to 28-8 and 8-7 in the league.
Florida Atlantic started game two with two runs in the first. Despite not hitting the ball hard, the Owls took advantage of one UCF error and parlayed three hits into a two-run inning.
FAU committed its 10th error of the season in the third as two unearned runs came home to tie the game at 2-2.
FAU catcher Justin Martin came through with a bases clearing double in the fourth to put FAU back on top at 5-2.
Drake Wade led off the fifth inning with a line drive solo home run to right center to bring UCF to within two at 5-3. The Golden Knights added another run in the frame with a sacrifice fly off the bat of Dave Lambert to slice the FAU lead to 5-4.
FAU added an important insurance run in the bottom of the sixth as Derek Hutton drove in FAU’s sixth run of the game with a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 6-4. Evan Brannon followed with his third hit of the game with a RBI-single to left center to give FAU a 7-4 lead.
The Golden Knights brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh with one out, but FAU closer Chris Saxton got out of the jam without allowing a run for his seventh save of the season.
UCF is back in action Tuesday evening vs. USF in Tampa. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. from Red McEwen Field. Freshman right-hander Taylor Meier will start for the Golden Knights and the game will be broadcast live on the UCF ISP Sports Network (740-AM The Team). The pregame show begins at 6:45 p.m. with Marc Daniels on the call from Tampa.