Feb. 11, 2007
Box Score in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Orlando, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - In the first two games of the series against No. 15 TCU, UCF baseball learned just how tough it can be to make a large comeback. But Sunday proved that it could be accomplished as the Golden Knights (3-2) erased a 6-1 deficit en route to an 8-6 upset over the Horned Frogs (2-1) at Jay Bergman Field. It was the highest ranked opponent to go down to the Black and Gold since the 2004 season (No. 13 Clemson).
"Friday and Saturday's games got out of hand early and we didn't have a chance to really show our style," said head coach Jay Bergman. "We scrapped it out a bit and that's who we are. We put the ball on the ground (in the eighth) and forced them to make some plays. We bunted the ball well, and particularly in college baseball if you can bunt the ball well, good things will happen."
The victory was Bergman's 1,158th in his career, which moved him into a tie for 21st on the NCAA Division I coaching list. Sophomore reliever Justin Weiss notched his first collegiate win by retiring the last four hitters of the game. Also shining out of the pen, Mitch Herold pitched 4.0 innings of scoreless baseball, sitting down three batters on strikes.
With TCU going calmly in the first to open the game, leadoff hitter Dwayne Bailey ripped the first pitch from Chris Johnson to left field and was sacrificed over to second by Ryan Richardson. Bailey then stole his fourth base of the season to get to third with just one out. Chadd Hartman delivered on a two-strike pitch, sending it to right field that was just deep enough for Bailey to score ahead of the tag at home.
After UCF starter Jaager Good sat down the first six hitters he faced, Matt Carpenter got the third underway with a double to right. A grounder to short gave the Knights the first out, but a single and hit by pitch loaded them up for Bryan Kervin. The shortstop provided the Horned Frogs with the lead thanks a two-run single, and a wild pitch brought the third run across. Austin Adams concluded the scoring by making it 4-1 on an RBI ground out to short. The Horned Frogs stormed back in the fourth thanks to a two-out RBI single to center off the bat of Steven Trout, as well as an unearned run to bring it to 6-1.
Johnson finally took a seat on the bench when he loaded the bases with one down in the fifth. Cody Dunbar entered the game to face Richardson, and forced him to chase a 3-2 pitch outside for the second out of the inning. Once again, though, Hartman came through in the clutch, ripping a two-run single to right scoring Steve Stropp and Nick Choto. Following a walk to Chris Duffy, Russell placed a single into left field to drive in Hartman and Bailey and help UCF inch closer, 6-5.
Although UCF left the tying run at third in the seventh, it could not hit the ball out of the infield in the eighth, and it somehow paid off. Kyle Maulbetsch reached on a little dribbler in front of home plate, and Stropp placed a bunt perfectly past reliever Sam Demel towards the shortstop to put two on. Eric Kallstrom tried to sacrifice both over only to see Demel attempt to get the force at third. The throw was wild and UCF now had the bases full with nobody out.
Up to the plate with the tying and go-ahead runners aboard, Bailey hit into a 5-2 fielder's choice. Pinch-hitter Brandon Romans then fell behind 0-2, yet still managed to draw the walk to tie the game. Tyson Auer gave the Golden Knights the lead on an infield single to third base, and Bailey added the final run on a passed ball, ultimately completing the comeback.
"That was awesome," said Herold of his team scoring three runs in the eighth. "As soon as we would get down last year we would roll over, but this year we have fight and it shows a lot (about what this team's about)."
To continue its eight-game home stand, UCF welcomes Maryland for a three-game set Feb. 16-18. First pitch on Friday and Saturday are slated for 6:30 p.m., while Sunday's finale gets underway at 1 p.m. For the latest news and information on the Golden Knights, tickets or apparel log on to www.ucfathletics.com - the official site for UCF athletics.
Game Notes
WP: Justin Weiss (1-0), 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
LP: Sam Demel (0-1), 1.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
- With 905 fans venturing to Jay Bergman Field Sunday, a total of 2,727 people flocked to the ballpark on the weekend, marking the fifth-largest attendance for a three-game series in stadium history.
- Sunday's win was UCF's first over a ranked opponent since a 9-2 defeat of No. 23 Tulane April 15, 2006.
- UCF had only three players steal at least three bases last season. Through five games in 2007, Dwayne Bailey already has four. Bailey also has scored seven runs this year.
- Chadd Hartman's sacrifice fly in the first inning gave UCF its first lead of the series. Hartman posted three RBI on the day to tie a career high.
- Tim Russell notched his first hit as a Golden Knight, a leadoff single in the bottom of the second inning. He finished the game by going 2-for-3 with two RBI.
- Kyle Maulbetsch, Tim Russell and Nick Choto all made their first start in a Black and Gold uniform.
- UCF batted around for the first time this season when it went through the order in the bottom of the eighth.
- The Golden Knights had 11 hits on the day, all of which were singles.