UCF Earns the Sweep with 10-2 Triumph over PresbytUCF Earns the Sweep with 10-2 Triumph over Presbyt

UCF Earns the Sweep with 10-2 Triumph over Presbyt

March 21, 2010

Final Stats

UCF vs. Presbyterian
March 21, 2010
From Orlando, Fla.
TeamRHE
Presbyterian241
UCF10111

WP: Joe Rogers (3-0), 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
LP: Jordan Pace (1-2), 1.2 IP, 8 H, 9 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
SV: None

Game-Changing Moment
Holding a 2-0 advantage with two outs in the bottom of the second, Shane Brown followed Darnell Sweeney's sac fly with a single, which ultimately opened the doors to a big inning. The Knights would go on to post six two-out hits in the nine-run inning.

Three Stars
First Star: UCF SP Joe Rogers, WP, 5.0 IP, faced the minimum of 11 batters to start the game
Second Star: UCF 1B Jonathan Griffin, delivered the big blow, a 3-run HR in the 2nd
Third Star: UCF IF Anthony Caronia, Imitating Napoleon Dynamite's dance moves from the video board during the rain delay

By Brian Ormiston
UCFAthletics.com

Box Score in PDF Format

Orlando, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - On a soggy day in Orlando, the UCF baseball team secured the series sweep over Presbyterian College with a 10-2 victory Sunday. The contest was halted after six innings due to rain, but it was still an official game, allowing the Knights to improve to 13-8 on the year.

Freshman southpaw Joe Rogers (3-0) hurled 5.0 innings without allowing an earned run, holding the Blue Hose (5-13) to just three hits. The Winter Haven product faced the minimum 11 hitters to start the game.

"Anytime you put yourself in position to get the sweep on Sunday you want to take advantage of it," said head coach Terry Rooney. "Joe Rogers did a good job today, and I wanted him to throw five innings to get his pitch count up. I thought he pitched efficiently."

UCF jumped out in front in the second inning where Jordan Pace hit Chris Duffy and issued a walk to Ryan Breen to get it started. Following a sac bunt from Alex Friedrich, Austin Johnston dropped a RBI single into left and Darnell Sweeney connected for a sacrifice fly to center.

The inning was far from over. Derek Luciano and Chris Taladay pushed it to 4-0 with a pair of run-scoring singles. And clearing the bases, Jonathan Griffin launched a three-run job on a two-strike pitch deep to left. Now ahead 7-0, Duffy sent a single to center, setting up a two-run blast from Breen.

An unearned run in the fourth put the Blue Hose on the board, but the Knights replied with a run of their own in the fifth to make it 10-1. As the rain continued to fall, Jesse Harmon lifted a solo homer to left for Presbyterian in the sixth and that would close out the scoring before the tarp permanently covered the field.

One more non-conference game remains before the Conference USA season gets underway as UCF travels to Miami Tuesday for a 6 p.m. showdown. The Black and Gold will then head to Houston to face the Cougars next weekend.

Ticket plans for the 2010 campaign are currently on sale. To purchase tickets, call 407-823-1000 or visit UCFAthletics.com. And for the latest news on the Knights, log on to UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit UCFPhotos.com and become a follower of the Knights on Twitter and Facebook.

Game Notes
Presbyterian College - 5-13 Overall
UCF - 13-8 Overall
-With nine in the second inning, UCF has scored at least five runs in an inning eight times this season.
-Chris Duffy extended his hitting streak to 12 games by going 1-for-2 with two runs scored.
-Every UCF starter posted a base hit, led by Derek Luciano and Austin Johnston who each had two.
-The Knights have won four-straight outings and six of their last seven.