UCF Falls in Game One to Central Michigan, 11-5UCF Falls in Game One to Central Michigan, 11-5

UCF Falls in Game One to Central Michigan, 11-5

March 5, 2010

Final Stats

UCF vs. Central Michigan
March 5, 2010
From Orlando, Fla.
TeamRHE
CMU11151
UCF586

WP: Jess Hernandez (1-0), 6.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 6 K
LP: Johnny Sedlock (1-1), 3.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
SV: Zach Cooper (1), 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K

Game-Changing Moment
Central Michigan held a 3-2 lead in the fourth and put the leadoff runner aboard. Billy Anderson dug in and sent a potential double-play ball to short but an error enabled both runners to stay on the bases. CMU would take advantage by scoring five in the inning to secure the win.

Three Stars
First Star: CMU 3B James Teas, 2-for-5, 2 RBI, had a key two-run single in the fourth
Second Star: CMU C Dale Cornstubble, 2-for-4, 3 RBI, 2B
Third Star: UCF RF Shane Brown, 2-for-3, RBI, R, BB, HBP

UCF Notes for Game Two Saturday
Game Notes in PDF Format

By Brian Ormiston
UCFAthletics.com

Box Score in PDF Format

Orlando, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - On another unseasonably cool night in Orlando, the UCF baseball team dropped an 11-5 decision to Central Michigan Friday. The Knights (7-3) will now try to return the favor with game two vs. the Chippewas (2-2) Saturday at 4 p.m.

Shane Brown led the Knights with two hits, a RBI and a run, while Chris Duffy cranked out his Conference USA-leading fifth homer of 2010.

Freshman Ronnie Richardson continued to add to his walk total to lead off the bottom of the first, earning his 15th free pass (he would record No. 16 in the fifth inning) to get aboard vs. Jess Hernandez. That would lead to a two-run inning as Beau Taylor and Duffy would drive in runs for an early 2-0 lead.

However the Chippewas bounced back in the second, starting with a solo shot from Nate Theunissen. They were poised to add more by loading the bases with one out only to see UCF southpaw Johnny Sedlock strike out Jordan Dean, then sit down left-hander Billy Anderson on several breaking balls to leave three runners stranded.

Sedlock would give up three-straight singles to reload the bases in the third, though, and CMU took the lead with a pair of runs. The UCF junior did escape another bases-loaded jam by inducing Dale Cornstubble to ground into an inning-ending double play. But in the fourth, the Chippewas did it again, filling the bases with one out and went on to plate five runs.

Duffy did launch a solo homer well over the scoreboard in right center in the sixth inning, yet Central Michigan answered with two of its own in the seventh.

Now trailing 10-3, Hernandez went over 100 pitches and started to struggle, walking Michael Holmes, giving up a single to Richardson and hitting Stephen Branca. Brown would serve as Hernandez' last hitter, where the right fielder drew a walk to drive in the first run. Mike Nixon entered from the pen and witnessed Chris Taladay's grounder get booted to bring it to 10-5.

Still with no outs and the bases jammed, Zach Cooper served as the third pitcher and made Jonathan Griffin send a check-swing line drive back to the mound where Cooper snagged it and doubled up Taladay at first. The CMU reliever completed the inning by striking out Duffy.

That would be the last scoring chance for the Knights with the Chippewas collecting one more in the eighth for the 11-5 win.

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Game Notes
Central Michigan - 2-2 Overall
UCF - 7-3 Overall
-Beau Taylor stretched his hitting streak to 12 games overall, and he is the only Knight this year to have a hit in all 10 games.
-With two in the first, UCF has scored at least one run in the first inning in eight of its 10 games this season.