May 8, 2007
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DeLand, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - Mitch Herold's career-high nine strikeouts and the offense's record-breaking eighth inning enabled the UCF baseball team to defeat No. 28 Stetson, 14-3, Tuesday in DeLand, Fla. The Knights (24-26) sent 17 batters to the plate in the eighth vs. the Hatters (36-13), notching 10 hits and scoring 11 runs, the most runs ever in an eighth inning by a UCF offense.
Herold, a native of Merritt Island, Fla., made his first start since Feb. 24 at LSU, and third of the season for the Knights. Herold, whose previous season-long outing was 4.0 innings in relief Feb. 11 vs. TCU, held the Hatters hitless until the bottom of the fifth inning. The sophomore finished with 6.0 innings of work and limited his opponent to just one earned run on four hits while not earning a decision.
Continuing his longest career-hitting streak, Kiko Vazquez hit safely for the 12th-straight outing by going 1-for-4 with two runs scored. Matt Horwath and Ryan Richardson also extended their streaks to nine games apiece. Chris Duffy, meanwhile, belted his fifth homer of the season when he added a two-run tape-measure shot in the fourth. The third baseman eventually went 3-for-4 with four RBI against the Hatters. Their efforts assisted in the Knights posting double-digits hits (15, tied UCF's season-high) for the sixth-straight time.
Each starter cruised through the first three frames, however with two down in the top of the fourth, Vazquez finally recorded the game's first hit on a two-out single through the left side. Stetson starter Robby Donovan then left a 2-2 fastball right down the middle of the plate and Duffy took care of it, sending a home run deep over the right-field fence and into the parking lot for a 2-0 UCF advantage.
Jeremy Cruz provided Stetson with its first base hit, leading off the fifth with a single just past Dwayne Bailey at second and into center. A wild pitch pushed Cruz to second and Adam Tindle singled him in to cut the lead in half. The Hatters returned in the sixth by tying it up on an unearned run.
UCF kept the two-out runs coming in the seventh in taking a 3-2 lead. Duffy got a hold of the first pitch he saw and dropped it into right field to get things going, and traveled to second on a wild pitch. Donovan picked up two fly outs, but issued a walk to Brandon Romans. Chris Ingoglia (8-3) came on in relief, only to see Chadd Hartman rip a RBI single into center to plate Duffy. Stetson replied by getting a one-out RBI base hit off the bat of Braedyn Pruitt in the bottom of the seventh. UCF reliever Derek Abriola (1-2) managed to get out of a jam later in the inning when the defense turned a double play with runners at first and second.
When the eighth rolled around, Horwath singled and Bailey walked to help the Knights put the first two aboard. Facing Nick Pugliese, Tyson Auer tried to bunt the first pitch but it went just foul. On the next pitch, the center fielder ripped an opposite-field double just inside the line in right to return the lead to the Knights.
The eighth was far from over. Pugliese intentionally walked Vazquez to load the bases, where Ian Thompson stepped on the hill, still with nobody out. In a lefty-lefty situation, Duffy fell behind 0-2 yet found a way to drive a two-run single into left center to double up on Stetson, 6-3. In hopes of keeping the scoring going, Richardson sacrificed Vazquez and Duffy into scoring position, and Eric Kallstrom was intentionally walked to refill the bags. After Kyle Mills pinch-ran for Duffy, Romans sent a 1-1 pitch over Shane Jordan's head in center, clearing the bases and giving Romans his first triple of 2007. Even though the triple virtually sealed the win, the Knights wanted more than a six-run cushion. Hartman singled in Romans from third to make it 10-3, and Auer later connected for a bases-loaded single for UCF's 11th run of the game. After the Stetson pen got the second out, Mills brought in two more on a base hit up the middle and Kallstrom completed the scoring on a RBI single of his own.
In all, Horwath, Bailey and Auer each scored two runs in the eighth frame, as the 11 runs were also the most scored in an inning all season.
Justin Weiss finished off the Hatters by striking out the side in the eighth and adding one more in the ninth to close out the win.
The Conference USA schedule resumes this weekend as UCF wraps up its seven-game road trip at East Carolina. First pitch of the three-game series is set for Friday at 7 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: Derek Abriola (1-2), 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
LP: Chris Ingoglia (8-3), 0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
- Tuesday's game was the final meeting of 2007 between UCF and Stetson. With the win, the Black and Gold claimed the series, 2-1.
- The 11-run margin was the largest victory over Stetson since the first game of a doubleheader on April 18, 1999, a 17-0 UCF triumph in DeLand.
- In non-conference contests this year, UCF finished with a 19-13 record.
- Tyson Auer stretched his hitting streak to seven games by going 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored.
- Brandon Romans set a season-high with three RBI Tuesday.
- Mitch Herold struck out the first two batters of the game, both looking. By completing his night with nine strikeouts, he became the fifth different UCF pitcher this season to post at least nine strikeouts in a game (Carmine Giardina, Brett Bordwine, Mitch Houck, Jaager Good). Entering the game, Herold's career-high for strikeouts was six, which he accomplished twice last year.
- Previously, the most runs scored in an inning this year was eight in the third frame against USF April 24 (UCF won, 11-5).
- The UCF record for hits in an eighth inning was 11 set against Siena March 7, 1997.
- The Knights are now 4-0 when Chris Duffy homers.
- Every Knight starter had at least one hit or one run scored.
- UCF left just six on base (three in the eighth), while Stetson stranded eight runners. Each team turned a double play once.
- The 14 runs scored were the most by the UCF bats since they plated 18 runs at Marshall March 31, 2006 (UCF won, 18-1). In non-conference action, it was the highest scoring production since a 16-5 victory over Siena March 17, 2006.