March 25, 2006
FORT WORTH, Texas - A dropped fly ball proved to be the difference as visiting UCF lost at TCU 2-1 Friday evening at Lupton Stadium. The Golden Knights left eight runners on base as UCF out-hit TCU, 8-7. The one-run loss spoiled UCF's first game in the state of Texas since the 2001 campaign.
The one-run loss snapped UCF's (14-11) four-game winning streak. The victory evened TCU's record at 12-12 on the season.
UCF scored the game's first run on a RBI-double by freshman first baseman Kiko Vazquez in the first inning. Vazquez doubled to right field to score sophomore center fielder Tyson Auer from second base.
With TCU starter Jake Arrieta cruising, the Frogs were able to get on the board and tie the game in the fifth. Shortstop Bryan Kervin opened the frame with a fly ball to left that was dropped by UCF outfielder Ryan Williams, allowing him to reach second. After a sacrifice bunt from Steven Trout moved Kervin up 90 feet, Matt Carpenter drove a 1-2 pitch to right that fell for an RBI double.
The Frogs continued to put the pressure on in the sixth as Andrew Walker dropped a fly ball just inside the right field foul line for a lead-off triple. UCF starting pitcher Tim Bascom then hit Austin Adams before Ryan Pack was able to lift a sacrifice fly to left to plate Walker with the eventual winning run.
Arrieta struck out nine and allowed only one run for his fifth win of the season. TCU sophomore Sam Demel struck out four of the five batters he faced to earn his second career save.
Bascom fell to 3-2 for the visiting Golden Knights, despite only allowing one earned run in 5.1 innings of work. The Dunedin native allowed six hits and struck out seven.
Auer and senior catcher Ryan Bono each had two hits to lead UCF offensively.
The Golden Knights and Horned Frogs resume their three-game series Saturday at 3 p.m. ET.