TALLAHASSEE – Dee Brown went 3-for-4 with four RBI and the game-winning home run to lead third-seeded UCF past top-seeded Florida State 7-5 Sunday in the NCAA Baseball Championships in Tallahassee. With the win, UCF advanced to the regional championship game with the Seminoles, with the winner advancing to Super Regional play vs. the winner of Wichita State-Arkansas.
The Golden Knights (47-17) erased a 3-0 deficit to shock the Seminoles (44-21) before a crowd of 3,897 in Tallahassee. The 47 wins rank fourth in UCF single-season history.
Stephen Drew tripled and scored on a wild pitch in the first to give the Seminoles a 1-0 lead.
Ryne Malone hit his 11th home run of the season to give the Seminoles a 2-0 lead.
The short fences in right field played a role in the third as Drew hit a solo home run to right to give the Seminoles a 3-0 lead.
UCF finally got its first base runner in the fourth as Matt Ray walked, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by FSU catcher before Dee Brown drove in Ray with an infield single.
The Seminoles added an unearned run in the fifth to take a 4-1 lead. Bryan Zech drove in Shane Robinson on a sacrifice fly to right field to score the Seminoles’ fourth run.
UCF jumped right back into the game in the sixth as the Golden Knights loaded the bases to start the inning. Brown followed with a RBI single through the left side, to score two, cutting the lead to 4-3. After Ryan Bono laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance runners to second and third with one out, Marshall Bernhard delivered the game-tying run with a RBI groundout to short to tie the game at four. UCF looked to take the lead as Chandler Rose drilled a shot to the gap in left center, but FSU center fielder Shane Robinson made an amazing catch to rob Rose of extra bases and a RBI.
After a 48-minute rain delay prior to the bottom of the sixth inning, UCF reliever Brian Brooks retired the Seminoles without a run in the sixth.
In the seventh, Kevin Richmond started the inning with a single and advanced to third after a wild pitch and sacrifice bunt. After FSU brought in reliever Matt DiBlasi, the left-hander got a quick ground out of Mann before Timpner doubled down the left field line on a 3-2 pitch to score Richmond, giving UCF its first lead of the game at 5-4.
Florida State came right back with a run in the seventh as Robinson led off with a single, advanced to second on a bunt, and scored on a RBI single by Zech.
The Golden Knights again answered the call, as Dee Brown blasted his fifth home run of the season to left field in the eighth to give UCF a 6-5 advantage.
UCF added a critical unearned run in the ninth as Timpner doubled again with two outs to score Richmond from second to give the Golden Knights a 7-5 lead.
Brooks (4-1) pitched 5.1 innings for his fourth win of the season while Tim Bascom came out of the bullpen to get the final out for his second save of the year.
Timpner and Brown paced UCF with three hits each and six RBI between the two junior standouts.
Freshman right-hander Brett Bordwine will make his first career start in Sunday’s regional championship game vs. the Seminoles.
#20 Baseball Stops #16 Florida State
Share