Jay Bergman comments on the win over FIU:
Drew Butera speaks about the game-winning hit:
Feb. 5, 2005
ORLANDO - Junior catcher Drew Butera drilled a RBI-single to right-center in the bottom of the 10th inning to lead No. 24 UCF to a 3-2 victory over Florida International in front of 1,032 fans at Jay Bergman Field Saturday. The 18th largest crowd in school history witnessed UCF win its fourth straight season-opener as the Golden Knights moved to 3-0 all-time in extra innings on opening day.
The Golden Knights improved to 1-0 while FIU stands at 2-2 overall.
Sophomore left-handed pitcher Brian Brooks earned the win with four innings of strong relief. The southpaw limited FIU to no runs on three hits in relief of starter Mike Billek.
Billek threw well in his first start of the season, lasting 6.0 innings. The junior right-hander seemed to get stronger after each inning, as he ended his final inning of work with two strikeouts. Billek fanned five while yielding four hits and two walks along with a pair of runs.
FIU grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the first inning as Randy Youtsey walked to start the game and scored on a sacrifice fly by Yahmed Yema.
The Golden Knights took their first lead of the season in the second by scoring two runs without a hit. Four walks and an error by FIU led to the pair of runs as Butera and John-Michael Howell scored to give UCF the lead.
FIU drew even in the fourth when Yosvel Barroso drove in Yema on a sacrifice fly to tie the game at two.
The score remained deadlocked until the 10th as Brown started the UCF rally with a single smashed up the middle. After advancing to second on a groundout, Butera delivered the game-winning, two-out base hit with a single all the way to the wall in right-center to give UCF the win.
The series finishes Sunday at 1 p.m. from Jay Bergman Field. UCF is scheduled to start sophomore Tim Bascom while FIU has yet to announce its starter.
Game Notes: UCF has won four straight season-openers ... the Golden Knights are 20-13 all-time on opening day ... UCF has won three straight games over FIU, but still trails the all-time series 46-41 ... UCF is 3-0 all-time in season-openers that go into extra innings.