ORLANDO – Two costly UCF errors in the seventh inning led to a six-run outburst for USF as the Bulls topped the Golden Knights 6-3 Tuesday evening at Jay Bergman Field in Orlando. The Bulls scored five unearned runs in the seventh to break open a 1-0 game. With the loss, No. 23 UCF dropped to 32-9 overall while USF improved to 26-13.
Dave Lambert drilled his first home run of the season in the second to give UCF an early 1-0 lead.
Freshman starter Taylor Meier made the lead stand with six shutout innings before running into trouble in the seventh. After one out and two Bulls reached base in the seventh, UCF turned to reliever Matt Rhodes to get out of the inning. Mike Macaluso greeted Rhodes with a RBI-single up the middle to tie the game at one and on the play Clay Timpner’s throwing error on the play led to USF’s second run of the game.
The Golden Knights looked to be out of the inning as Rhodes induced a ground ball to shortstop Chandler Rose; however the UCF infielder threw the ball away which allowed Macaluso to score. Jeff Baisley put the game out of reach in the next at bat with a three-run home run to left field to give the Bulls a 6-1 advantage.
USF totaled just three hits in the six-run inning and two UCF errors led to five unearned runs.
The Golden Knights scrapped together two runs in the ninth as Rose doubled in a run and Marshall Bernhard added a RBI-groundout to close out the scoring.
USF starter Daniel Albritton pitched 6.0 innings and allowed just one run on three hits with five strikeouts for his fourth win of the season. Meier (4-2) was the tough-luck loser, lasting 6.1 innings in the loss. The freshman right-hander from Altamonte Springs was charged with two runs, one earned, along with four strikeouts.
Dee Brown led UCF with two hits as USF outhit the Golden Knights 7-4.
UCF has a 10-day layoff before Troy State visits Jay Bergman Field Saturday, May 1. The doubleheader vs. the Trojans begins at 4 p.m.