March 24, 2009
Notes for Wednesday's Game in PDF Format
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - There was plenty of offense Tuesday night in Orlando where Jacksonville defeated the UCF baseball team, 14-9. Junior Shane Brown went 4-for-6 with a double and his third homer of 2009 for the Knights (7-16), who outhit the Dolphins (13-8) by a 17-16 margin. Brown's effort allowed him to keep his career-long hitting streak alive at 15 games.
Along with Brown's four-hit evening, senior Kiko Vazquez drove in a pair of runs on three hits, while seniors Colin Arnold and Brandon Romans and freshman D.J. Hicks and Jake Huxtable each connected for two hits. The 17 total base hits by the Knights tied a season-high set against Monmouth March 8.
In the bullpen, four pitchers combined to give up just two earned runs in 8.2 innings. Sophomore Evan Stobbs had a career-long 5.0 inning outing with four strikeouts, junior Cory Weech struck out one in 0.2 innings, junior Matt Goodyear fanned four in 2.2 frames and senior Justin Weiss retired the only batter he faced in the ninth.
It did not take long for the Dolphins to light up the scoreboard against UCF starter Brennan Dobbins, as they collected seven runs on eight hits, highlighted by Alex Martinez's three-run homer, before the Knights had to go to their pen. Stobbs came on and walked Kyle Fleming to fill the bases but got out of the frame by getting Jeremy Gillan to ground into a 5-4-3 inning-ending double play.
Freshmen took charge in the bottom of the second to jump start the Black and Gold bats vs. righty Sean Green. A leadoff double put Hicks at second and Huxtable hammered the very next pitch into the left-center gap, plating Hicks. Green managed to pick up two quick outs on a strikeout and fielder's choice, yet surrendered a double to Arnold and hit senior Josh Siebenaler on a 0-2 pitch. With the bases juiced, Brown immediately jumped on the first offering, ripping it in between third and second for a two-run single. Romans almost made it 7-6 only to witness his bid for a three-run shot came up just short.
A second chance enabled the Knights to return to form in the third inning, where Vazquez was given new life after third baseman K.C. Clabough dropped a foul ball. The first baseman then delivered a single into right-center followed by a base hit from Hicks. Green, though, settled down and struck out the next three hitters.
With that chance foiled, JU answered in its next trip to the dish. Loading them up with no outs, the Dolphins scored two more to pump up their lead to 9-3. The Black and Gold put two more in scoring position in the fourth with one down and picked up a run on a RBI single from Vazquez.
Although UCF kept hanging with Jacksonville, the Dolphins ultimately sealed their win with four unearned runs with two outs in the sixth inning.
The deficit may have been too much to overcome, but the Knights still battled. Back-to-back doubles from Romans and Vazquez produced one run in the sixth, and Huxtable belted a solo homer to left to leadoff the seventh. Also going yard, Brown opened the eighth with a home run of his own, a deep blast to left field.
Jacksonville added an unearned run in the ninth before Arnold and Siebenaler knocked in the final two runs of the night in the bottom half.
UCF and JU get back together Wednesday in a 6:30 p.m. meeting in Jacksonville. The Knights return to Conference USA play this weekend when they host Southern Miss beginning Friday at 6:30 p.m.
Baseball season ticket packages as well as single game tickets are on sale for the 2009 campaign. Call the UCF Ticket Office at (407) 823-1000 for more information. Fans may also visit UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, and is the home of UCF's online apparel store. Also visit UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.
Game Notes
Jacksonville - 13-8 Overall
UCF - 7-16 Overall
WP: Billy Schlee (1-2), 4.1 IP, 5 H, 3, R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
LP: Brennan Dobbins (0-1), 0.1 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
- Bright House Sports Network televised its third and final game from the UCF campus. The station will be up in DeLand to cover the UCF at Stetson showdown March 31.
- Shane Brown's 15-game hitting streak is UCF's longest since Kiko Vazquez put together a 17-game stretch during the 2007 season.
- Brown was making his second-career start in the outfield and his first in right field.
- Jake Huxtable's homer in the seventh inning was the second of his career.
- Kiko Vazquez and Jake Huxtable each drove in two runs.
- Both of Colin Arnold's hits were doubles. The senior was making his first start in a UCF uniform in center field Tuesday night and went 2-for-6 with two runs scored and a RBI.