March 7, 2010
| UCF vs. Central Michigan March 7, 2010 |
| From Orlando, Fla. | |||||
| Team | R | H | E | ||
| CMU | 7 | 12 | 0 | ||
| UCF | 4 | 12 | 0 | ||
WP: Jake Sabol (2-0), 5.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
LP: Alex Besaw (0-1), 2.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
SV: Bryce Morrow (1), 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Game-Changing Moment
UCF had chances to take the lead during the game, but after not converting in the sixth, CMU sealed it in the seventh. Ahead 3-2, the Chippewas' Billy Anderson drove a two-run single to left to push the lead to three runs. They would go on to plate two more in the eighth en route to the victory.
Three Stars
First Star: CMU C Dale Cornstubble, 3-for-4, 2 clutch RBI
Second Star: UCF LF Chris Duffy, 3-for-5, 2B, R
Third Star: The UCF fan in the gold shirt who went home with the first-ever homer on the Right-Field Deck in the fifth inning.
By Brian Ormiston
UCFAthletics.com
Orlando, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - UCF could not take advantage of key scoring situations in a 7-4 loss to Central Michigan Sunday afternoon. The Knights (7-5) will now shift their focus towards a Tuesday clash with No. 10 Miami at home at 7:05 p.m.
Winter Park native Shane Brown stretched his hitting streak to nine games by going 2-for-4, while the senior also posted at least two hits in a game for the eighth-straight time. Also at the plate, freshman Ronnie Richardson delivered the first home run of his career in the fifth inning, as he became the first player to land a ball on the Right-Field Deck since it opened on Friday. And Chris Duffy amassed three hits and scored a run for the Knights.
Junior righty Alex Besaw quickly went through the first inning in his debut start as a Knight, yet CMU amassed three hits for two runs in the second. Due to Besaw being on a pitch count, Chase Bradford stepped on the hill for the third and stranded a runner at third base with one out to keep the score at 2-0.
The Chippewas (4-2) did add another run in the fourth, but Bradford left one more baserunner at third with one out thanks to a groundout by Ricky Clark and a strikeout with Jordan Dean in the box.
Finally in the bottom of the fourth the Knights broke through to cut into their deficit. Started up with a single from Brown, CMU righty Jake Sabol retired the next two batters but Duffy singled to get runners at the corners and D.J. Hicks took a pitch up in the zone and sent it into center for the RBI single. UCF searched for more but Sabol struck out Michael Holmes with two Knights in scoring position to end the inning.
The Black and Gold did not quit, and the Central Michigan lead was trimmed to 3-2 by way of the smallest guy on the UCF roster. On a 1-2 offering, Richardson blasted a solo shot to the deck to become the seventh different player to put one over the wall in 2010.
Bradford kept the game close by sitting down nine-straight during his outing, and Sabol would be greeted rudely to kick off the sixth as Jonathan Griffin drove a single into left. The Chippewas went to Mike Nixon for a lefty-lefty situation, and it appeared as if it would pay off with Duffy falling behind in the count. The UCF senior stayed alive by fouling off several pitches before hammering a double the opposite way.
Nixon did pick up the first out on a grounder, giving way to fellow southpaw Dietrich Enns who walked Holmes to fill the bases. However UCF put a zero on the scoreboard when it grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Due to CMU pitching withstanding the UCF offense, the Chippewas fired back with two crucial runs in the seventh before adding two in the eighth as they were on their way to the win. The Knights did drive in a pair in the eighth, and loaded the bases with two down in the ninth, but Central Michigan's lead was too much to overcome.
UCF's 13-game homestand continues when it hosts No. 10 Miami Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. live on Bright House Sports Network. It will be the first time in over 20 years that the Knights and Hurricanes meet in Orlando.
Season tickets 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
Central Michigan - 4-2 Overall
UCF - 7-5 Overall
-Freshman Chris Taladay made his first-career start at third base Sunday.
-Reliever Chase Bradford left the game after 4.1 innings of work, one earned run against, no walks and four strikeouts, but both of the runners that were on base when he exited came around to score against the pen.
-Freshman closer and Winter Haven native Joe Rogers got some work in Sunday, entering in the ninth and striking out the side. The lefty moved his season strikeout total to 15 in 7.0 innings.