April 29, 2008
TAMPA, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - USF took a 5-0 lead through three innings and hung on to defeat the UCF baseball team, 14-6, Tuesday in Tampa. The Knights have now lost seven of their last eight games while falling to 27-19 on the season.
Junior Kiko Vazquez delivered his third homer of 2008, and 16th of his career, in the loss against the Bulls (25-20). Also at the plate, junior Brandon Romans and sophomore Shane Brown pounded out three hits apiece, both of which tied career-highs. Out of the bullpen, junior Caleb Graham was sharp in his outing, going 3.0 scoreless innings, striking out one and allowing just two hits.
Joey Angelberger was quick to provide USF with the first run of the game, blasting a one-out RBI double off Carmine Giardina in the first inning. The Bulls finished the frame by sending two more across for a 3-0 lead. Two innings later, Chris Rey smacked a two-run homer to bring it to 5-0.
As USF was busy at the plate, lefty Teddy Kaufman shut down a UCF offense that entered the game with a .314 team batting average. The Knights had just three hits through the first six innings until Vazquez hammered his solo homer to left to leadoff the seventh. Following the long ball, UCF seemed to solve Kaufman. Brown and junior Eric Kallstrom came through with back-to-back singles, and one out later, Romans singled into left to bring it to 5-2.
After a meeting on the mound, freshman Stephen Branca, who was making just his third career start, sent the first pitch he saw into right field for an RBI single. Now trailing 5-3, Kyle Eastham stepped on the hill for the Bulls and left runners at the corners to keep UCF at bay. Eastham's effort enabled USF to take momentum back in the bottom half, where Angelberger had another RBI double and Brian Hobbs recorded a two-run home run off freshman Brennan Dobbins. USF capped off the inning with one more vs. the Knight pen for a 9-3 cushion.
The middle of the order for UCF was back at it in the eighth and it all started with a one-out walk to Vazquez. Brown put two aboard with a single through the left side, and Kallstrom took a 1-0 offering from Eastham and placed it into center to allow Vazquez to score. Eventually, USF went to the pen twice in the inning and with two outs and the bases jammed, pinch-hitter Chris Duffy fired a two-run single into center to make it 9-6. However, the Bulls escaped any more damage, and added five runs in the bottom half, en route to the win.
Conference USA play resumes for the Knights this weekend when they travel to New Orleans to face No. 27 Tulane Friday-Sunday. It will be the second to last league series of the year for UCF.
UCF baseball single-game tickets are currently available by contacting the UCF Ticket Office at 407-823-1000, or by going online at www.ucfathletics.com, the official site for UCF varsity sports. Also check out UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.
Game Notes
UCF - 27-19 Overall, 5-13 Conference USA
USF - 25-20 Overall, 10-11 Big East
WP: Teddy Kaufman (3-1), 6.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
LP: Carmine Giardina (3-3), 3.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
- Colin Arnold made his first start as the UCF leadoff hitter Tuesday.
- Shane Brown earned his first start since April 5 at Houston as he was recovering from an injury. Brown served as the designated hitter and batted fifth.
- All three games between UCF and USF this year have been virtually decided in the first inning. In game one of this year's series April 1, USF scored four first-inning runs in a 17-4 win. One week later UCF scored four runs in the first in game two in a 6-3 Knight victory.
- Dwayne Bailey was caught stealing for the first time all year. He was previously 19-for-19 before Tuesday.
- Tyson Auer saw his 11-game hitting streak come to an end.
- UCF used a season-high seven pitchers.
- The staff struck out just four hitters. UCF pitchers entered the contest with at least six strikeouts in 22-consecutive outings.