Feb. 23, 2007
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Game Notes for Saturday, Feb. 24
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Baton Rouge, La. (www.ucfathletics.com) - In its first road game of the 2007 season, the UCF baseball team let LSU score four unearned runs and that was all it would need in a 4-1 Tiger victory. Eric Kallstrom provided the Knights (3-6) with their only run of the game, a solo shot in the fifth inning.
UCF saw its starter, Mitch Houck (0-2), go 4.2 innings and strike out five. LSU's (6-2) counterpart, Charlie Furbush (2-1), was stellar on the mound, lasting 7-0 innings and surrendering only one run on four hits and striking out seven.
It looked as though UCF was going to have another rough first inning, as Houck gave up a lead-off walk and a base hit to put two aboard. After two trips to the mound by his catcher Brandon Romans and one from pitching coach Craig Cozart during the frame, Houck collected himself to retire the next two hitters. Now with two down and both runners in scoring position, Houck gave up a bloop hit into left field to Jason Lewis. Appearing as if it would fall for a two-run single, Ryan Williams sprinted in to make a diving snag and keep the Tigers off the board.
The game would not remain scoreless for long, however, as a UCF error with two men on base provided LSU with a 1-0 lead after two innings.
While the Knights' first hit did not come until the fourth inning, they managed to get a baserunner in each of the first four stanzas. Finally in the fifth, Furbush made a mistake. On a 2-0 pitch, Kallstrom laced his first homer of 2007 into the bleachers in left-center field to even it at 1-1. It was the sophomore's fifth of his career.
LSU came right back to retake the lead in its half, scoring on another error with two Tigers on base. They sealed it in the ninth by taking advantage of a two-out error and scoring two runs for the final 4-1 score.
The three-game series continues with a Saturday showdown at 1 p.m. ET. 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: Charlie Furbush (2-1), 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
LP: Mitch Houck (0-2), 4.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
- Kiko Vazquez, who had homered in two-straight games before traveling to Baton Rouge, went 0-for-3 vs. LSU.
- Austin Hudson came out of the pen to relieve Houck in the fifth. He completed his evening with a season-high 3.0 innings pitched and did not allow an earned run, all while striking out two.
- Friday marked the second time this season that the Knights did not give up a run in the fourth inning (TCU - Feb. 9).
- Charlie Furbush became the first pitcher, either by a Golden Knight or a UCF opponent, to reach the 100-pitch mark. The lefty finished with 105 pitches (64 strikes).