March 23, 2010
| UCF at Miami March 23, 2010 |
| From Coral Gables, Fla. | |||||
| Team | R | H | E | ||
| UCF | 6 | 10 | 0 | ||
| Miami | 3 | 8 | 1 | ||
WP: Brennan Dobbins (2-0), 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
LP: Steven Ewing (2-2), 1.2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
SV: Chase Bradford (1), 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Game-Changing Moment
Clinging to a 4-2 lead in the sixth inning, freshman Brian Adkins saw Miami place runners at second and third with just one out. That did not seem to affect the lefty, as Adkins struck out the Hurricanes' No. 4 and 5 hitters to escape. The freshman's efforts kept the momentum with the Knights into the late innings, where they scored two in the eighth to sew it up.
Three Stars
First Star: The UCF freshmen. Brian Adkins holds the lead in relief, Ryan Breen and Chris Taladay start the key rally in the fifth, Darnell Sweeney put UCF on the board in the second, Austin Johnston serves up clutch defensive work at second base.
Second Star: The UCF pitching staff. Along with Adkins, Johnny Sedlock, Brennan Dobbins and Chase Bradford combined to give up just one run.
Third Star: UCF CF Alex Friedrich. Halted any chance of a UM comeback with a solo homer in the eighth to make it 5-3.
By Brian Ormiston
UCFAthletics.com
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - UCF put together another impressive all-around game Tuesday in a 6-3 upset at No. 12 Miami. The Knights (14-8) used five pitchers, outhit the Hurricanes (14-6) 10-8 and did not commit an error to claim their fifth-straight victory.
"It was a great win for this team. It shows that what happened a couple weeks ago in Orlando when we lost 19-2, that that wasn't this baseball team," said head coach Terry Rooney. "This baseball team has an opportunity to be outstanding. We're just continuing to play with confidence, and it was an unbelievable team effort. We used multiple pitchers and different guys in different spots. I'm very proud of them."
Tuesday marked the first meeting between UCF and Miami in Coral Gables since 1995, which also was the last time the Knights defeated the Hurricanes.
The Knights trailed 2-1 after four before scoring three in the fifth and sealing it up with two in the eighth. Shane Brown, Chris Taladay and Chris Duffy each had two hits, while several pitchers combined to shut the door.
Facing freshman righty E.J. Encinosa, the Knights placed runners at second and third with two down in the top of the first but could not get on the board. They did in the second, however, where freshman Austin Johnston banged out a single and stole second with two outs. Freshman Darnell Sweeney fell behind in the count only to battle back before sending a 3-2 pitch into center, plating Johnston.
And when the Hurricanes came to the dish in the home half, Johnston played a huge role again, diving to snag a line drive at second base and doubling up Harold Martinez at first for the inning-ending double play.
UCF starting pitcher Johnny Sedlock limited UM to just two hits and no runs through 3.0 innings, striking out three. When the Knights went to the bullpen in the fourth, Bryan Brown was greeted by Scott Lawson's two-run homer as Miami jumped ahead 2-1.
Trailing for the first time, the Black and Gold did not back down, and it all started with two more freshmen. Batting second in the order, Ryan Breen singled to left, setting up a one-out double off the bat of Taladay. With two men on, Duffy notched his 40th RBI of 2010 on an infield single. The senior stayed a perfect 8-for-8 when recording the RBI with a runner on third and less than two outs.
Eventually with the bases juiced, Beau Taylor grounded into a fielder's choice, returning the one-run lead to UCF. UM's third pitcher of the day, Daniel Miranda, entered and his first pitched bounced to the backstop, scoring Duffy.
Now with a 4-2 advantage in the bottom of the sixth, the Knights witnessed the Hurricanes get two runners in scoring position with one away against freshman Brian Adkins. The lefty was in an even more troubling hole since UM was sending its No. 4 and 5 hitters to the plate. Yet the newcomer buckled down, and struck out Yasmani Grandal and Harold Martinez on a pair of 3-2 outside breaking balls.
Miami threatened again in the seventh when Michael Broad led off with a triple to right, and even though Adkins fanned the next two Hurricanes, Zeke DeVoss fired a RBI single into center.
That run would be regained quickly. Eric Whaley ran in from the UM pen to start the eighth, and his first pitch was driven off the scoreboard by Alex Friedrich, making it 5-3. And then with one out, Shane Brown crushed his fourth dinger of the year, a solo blast to right-center.
UCF's fifth pitcher was called on in the eighth, where Chase Bradford sat Miami down 1-2-3, then earned the save with a scoreless ninth.
After playing 22-straight non-conference games, the Knights open up their Conference USA season this weekend when they travel to Houston for a three-game set beginning Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
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
UCF - 14-8 Overall
No. 12 Miami - 14-6 Overall
-Shane Brown was hit by a pitch twice, giving him 48 for his career and tying him with Kiko Vazquez for second on the all-time list. Ryan Bono holds the UCF record with 50.
-Brown now has 15 HBP for the year, tying him for eighth on the single-season chart. That also ranks first in the country in 2010.
-Chris Duffy extended his hitting streak to 13 games. With two hits, Duffy has posted at least two hits in nine of his last 11 outings.
-Ryan Breen, meanwhile, pushed his streak to eight games.
-UCF has hit at least one home run in 10 of its last 11 games.
-The Knights have defeated a school ranked in the top-17 at least once in four-straight years.