April 19, 2005
TAMPA - USF freshman second baseman Joey Angelberger was 2-for-4 with a grand slam and five RBI to lead the host Bulls past No. 25 UCF 9-2 Tuesday night at Red McEwen Field in Tampa. The Bulls snapped UCF's six-game winning streak and won for the first time this season vs. UCF (35-9) to avoid the season sweep.
Angelberger entered the game batting just .189 on the season with no home runs and five RBI in 22 games. The Bulls took advantage of three UCF errors to score seven unearned runs and UCF left 10 runners on base in the loss.
The Bulls (23-19) took an early 1-0 lead in the second on a bloop, RBI-single off the bat of Joey Angelberger. The ball sailed just over the outstretched glove of UCF second baseman Matt Ray to score the game's first run.
USF busted the game open in the third with six runs. Two home runs in the frame, including a grand slam by Angelberger gave the Bulls a 7-0 lead after three innings of play. Five of the six runs in the inning were unearned as UCF second baseman Matt Ray dropped a would-be out on a sacrifice bunt attempt to give the Bulls an extra out in the inning.
The Golden Knights scored their first run of the game in the sixth on a RBI-single by Marshall Bernhard up the middle to score Matt Horwath. Drew Butera scored UCF's second run of the game with his second hit of the night to plate Dee Brown to cut the USF lead to 7-2.
Two more Golden Knight errors in the seventh led to a pair of USF runs.
The loss was the first of the season for UCF starter Ray Rodriguez. The New York native dropped to 6-1 after pitching just 3.0 innings, yielding seven runs (two earned) with three walks and three strikeouts. USF starter Blake Tillett (3-1) tossed 5.1 innings and allowed two runs en route to the win. The freshman left-hander used 12 fly outs to stymie the UCF attack.
UCF returns to action a week from Friday at home vs. A-Sun rival Florida Atlantic. The three-game series begins Friday, April 29 from Jay Bergman Field. All three games of the FAU series will air on 740-AM The Team on the UCF ISP Sports Network.
Game Notes: Matt Horwath left the game in the seventh inning after getting hit by a pitch on the foot ... UCF dropped to 12-3 on the season vs. left-handed starting pitchers ... the Golden Knights failed to earn their first season sweep of USF since 1995, but the Golden Knights did win the season series for the first time since 1999 over the Bulls ... After scoring 66 runs over their six-game winning streak, the Golden Knights were held to two runs vs. the Bulls.