March 19, 2006
ORLANDO - UCF sent 11 batters to the plate in the seventh and scored five runs in the inning as the host Golden Knights defeated Siena 10-3 Sunday afternoon at Jay Bergman Field. The win secured a three-game sweep for the Golden Knights as they moved to 13-10 on the season while Siena dropped to 2-13.
UCF totaled 13 hits on the day, including two hits and three RBI by freshman DH Steve Stropp and a 2-for-4 performance with two runs scored by sophomore center fielder Tyson Auer.
"I thought Kyle Sweat struggled with his stuff and body language, but he had enough to get us to the seventh," commented UCF head coach Jay Bergman. "Tyler Bunnell came in out of the bullpen to strikeout seven of the eight batters he faced, which was just a great performance. It really saved our bullpen and gives everyone a rest for next week."
Sweat moved to 2-1 on the season after pitching 6.1 innings. The Apopka native yielded three runs, two earned, on five hits with one strikeout. Bunnell, a freshman southpaw from Lake Highland Prep, was untouchable out of the UCF bullpen. The left-hander pitched 2.2 innings of perfect relief with a career-high seven strikeouts for his first career save.
For the third time in the series, Siena scored first with one run in the top of the first. Rick Seltzer doubled home Chris Klepps to give the Saints a 1-0 advantage.
Klepps continued his big afternoon in the third inning with a solo homer to left to give the Saints a 2-0 lead. Klepps doubled and scored Siena's first run of the game in the first.
UCF committed two errors in the fifth which led to an unearned run for Siena to extend the lead to 3-0.
Freshman shortstop Eric Kallstrom drove in UCF's first run of the game in the fifth on a RBI-groundout to close the deficit to 3-1.
The Golden Knights used a three-run sixth inning to go in front for the first time Sunday. Senior catcher Ryan Bono started the scoring with a RBI-double and Stropp followed with a two-run home run off the palm trees in left field to give UCF a 4-3 lead. The home run was Stropp's team-leading fourth of the season and his second of the series.
UCF put the game out of reach with a five-run seventh, including a RBI-triple from Auer and a two-run double by senior first baseman Dave Lambert.
The Golden Knights hit the road for four games next week, including Tuesday evening at Bethune-Cookman. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. from Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach.
Game Notes: UCF head coach Jay Bergman announced Sunday that senior RHP Taylor Cobb will miss the remainder of the season with an arm injury ... UCF moved three games over .500 for the first time this season with Sunday's 10-3 victory ... Dave Lambert was 2-for-3 with three RBI off the bench Sunday vs. the Saints.