May 1, 2009
Notes for the May 2 Game in PDF Format
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Marshall scored a combined seven two-out runs in the seventh and eighth innings to erase a 7-3 deficit and skip past the UCF baseball team, 10-8, Friday in Orlando. The Knights outhit the Thundering Herd (18-26, 7-12 Conference USA), 16-14, but witnessed their record fall to 16-28 overall and 5-11 in C-USA.
Stretching his hitting streak to 11 games, freshman Beau Taylor went 2-for-5 with a RBI and run scored, while classmate D.J. Hicks drove in four including three on a homer in the fifth. Seniors Colin Arnold and Eric Kallstrom led the UCF bats with three hits apiece.
Senior Kiko Vazquez set a UCF single-season record by being hit by a pitch twice to give him 19 on the year. He also moved into a tie for second place on the all-time list with 46-career HBP, and trails Ryan Bono (50) for first in program history.
Marshall capitalized on the very first pitch of the game, as Adam Yeager doubled to right, was sacrificed to third and came around to score on a groundout. One inning later, Rhett Stafford ripped a solo homer to left to make it 2-0. However that was cut in half in the home half as Vazquez reached on an error, traveled to third by way of a double from junior Chris Duffy and touched the plate on a grounder to first off the bat of Hicks.
Now trailing 2-1, UCF erased the deficit completely and it all started with a leadoff walk to Arnold in the third. After Arnold stole second, Kallstrom also was given a free pass, setting up a bloop RBI double down the left-field line from senior Brandon Romans. Taylor provided the second run of the inning with a groundout. That run proved to be important since Thor Meeks tallied a solo dinger in the fourth, tying it back up at three apiece.
It continued to teeter-totter when UCF dug in the bottom half, picking up one-out singles from senior Josh Siebenaler and Arnold. Kallstrom then came through with a base hit of his own to bring in Siebenaler. Yet it was Hicks that broke it open when the Thundering Herd went to the pen for the fifth. Kicked off with a single by Taylor, Duffy placed a base hit of his own into right, setting up Hicks who turned on an inside pitch and snuck it just inside the right-field foul pole for a three-run blast.
Marshall kept hanging around, though, and brought in a pair of two-out runs on a base hit by Victor Gomez. But that was when Hicks came on in relief and struck out Stafford on four pitches with the bases jammed to maintain UCF's 7-5 advantage. Although he escaped in the seventh, the Herd went back to work in the eighth and this time scored five two-out runs to retake the lead.
UCF hoped to answer in the bottom of the ninth and put together a rally with nobody on and two outs. Arnold was the first to get aboard by placing a single into left and Kallstrom also connected for a base hit into left. Senior Chadd Hartman then ripped a 0-1 pitch from Austin Coan up the middle to bring it to 10-8, but the Marshall closer managed to leave runners at the corners by picking up the final out.
Game two with the Thundering Herd is set for Saturday at 4 p.m.
Baseball flex pack voucher 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
Marshall - 18-26 Overall, 7-12 Conference USA
UCF - 16-28 Overall, 5-11 Conference USA
WP: Justin Moore (1-0), 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
LP: D.J. Hicks (3-4), 1.0 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
- A weekend after matching a career-high 6.0 innings in a win at UAB, senior RHP Caleb Graham tossed 6.1 innings in his start against Marshall.
- The entire team sported new haircuts Friday night as the Knights all went with Mohawks.
- Junior Chris Duffy made his first start of the year at third base Friday night, and immediately assisted on two groundouts in the first inning.
- Catcher Beau Taylor threw out runner No. 17 when Josh Valle was nabbed trying to swipe second to end the fifth.
- Duffy and Taylor amassed two hits each for the Black and Gold.
- All 10 Knights that went to the plate got at least one hit.