April 17, 2007
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Tampa, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - A three-run first inning was not enough to enable the UCF baseball team to knock off USF Tuesday in a 10-5 loss in Tampa. Both teams combined for 15 walks as the loss dropped the Knights to 18-20 on the season.
Tyson Auer wasted little time in stretching his hitting streak to 13 games by picking up a single in the first inning. Meanwhile, Eric Kallstrom finished his evening by tying a career-high with three hits and drove in two. The loss for the Knights was the second this season against the Bulls (April 3, 11-4 in Tampa).
USF (27-12) starter James Rowe faced just four batters before hitting the dugout in the top of the first. Matt Horwath and Shane Brown both were issued walks to get the game started and Auer followed with a single to center to load them up. Rowe then walked Kiko Vazquez to give the Knights a 1-0 lead, and left in favor of Yuri Higgins even though Rowe had gotten to two strikes on all four hitters he went up against. Higgins did pick up the first out, but gave up a two-run single to Kallstrom as the shortstop banged a 2-2 pitch through the left side.
Brett Bordwine began his outing in similar fashion, walking the No. 1 and No. 2 hitters for USF to get into early trouble. A sacrifice bunt pushed them up a base and Addison Maruszak came through with a RBI ground out to plate Walter Diaz to make it 3-1.
The Bulls returned in the second, adding a run on a RBI double by Charles Cleveland and taking the lead on a two-run single off the bat of Diaz, which extended his hitting streak to 21 games. After getting to a 2-2 count on Ty Taborelli, Bordwine threw the ball into center field on a pickoff attempt, where he left the ballgame as Brian Brooks stepped out of the pen. The lefty finished the walk to Taborelli, and recorded two more free passes to let USF stretch the lead to 5-3. Brooks fell behind to Brandin Daniel, 3-0, in the next at-bat, only to induce the first baseman to hit into a 4-6-3 double play three pitches later to leave three Bulls on base.
Walks did in the Bulls in the top of the third, as Higgins let Auer and Vazquez get aboard on four pitches each. Brandon Romans helped UCF inch closer by singling down the left-field line to drive in Auer, and Kallstrom got on by way of a bunt single. With the bases juiced and still nobody out, Chadd Hartman flew out to shallow left, D.J. Bissell struck out and Dwayne Bailey grounded out to allow Higgins to escape.
Brooks saw his final batter in the fourth when Dexter Butler notched a RBI single to bring it to 6-4. Austin Hudson stepped on the rubber and the Bulls tacked on two unearned runs to leave the frame up, 8-4. In the sixth, USF used two singles, two wild pitches, an error and a sacrifice fly vs. reliever Derek Abriola for a 10-4 advantage. Matt Lambert completed the game's scoring in the ninth on a sac fly with the bases loaded, driving in pinch-runner Nick Choto.
The Knights have yet another huge test on the way as they travel to No. 6 Rice this weekend. First pitch for game one is set for Friday at 8 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: Yuri Higgins (5-3), 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
LP: Brett Bordwine (2-3), 1.1 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
- Tuesday was the second time this year the two teams played in Tampa. The Bulls defeated the Knights, 11-4, April 3. Meanwhile, USF does travel to Orlando once in 2007 when it visits Jay Bergman Field April 24.
- Ryan Richardson, who was one of just two players (Kiko Vazquez) to play in all 37 games this season, did not make the trip to Tampa Tuesday.
- UCF's three runs in the first inning were the second most it tallied in the opening frame this season (four against Army March 13).
- The Knights left a runner in scoring position with less than two outs in the first, third, fourth and sixth innings.
- Matt Horwath added a double in the sixth, giving him five this season and 30 for his career.
- Kyle Maulbetsch pitched a scoreless seventh inning, and Justin Weiss did the same in the eighth out of the UCF pen.