Five Pitchers Shut Down Bethune-Cookman in UCF's 6

April 21, 2010

Final Stats

WP: Brian Adkins (3-3), 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
LP: Julio Morales (2-2), 4.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
SV: Joe Rogers (7), 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Game-Changing Moment
While the pitching staff shined for UCF, it was all about two-out hitting as well. Tied up at 1-1 in the fifth and with the go-ahead run at third and two down, Beau Taylor drove a 2-1 offering into left-center for a RBI double. UCF would not give up the lead the rest of the way.

Three Stars
First Star: UCF C Beau Taylor, 3-for-4, 3 RBI, GW RBI, 1 R, 2B
Second Star: UCF RF Shane Brown, 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 RBI
Third Star: UCF RP Brian Adkins, WP, first UCF reliever and picked up where Dobbins left off to keep momentum with the Knights

By Brian Ormiston
UCFAthletics.com

Orlando, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - UCF used five pitchers Wednesday and they combined to allow just one earned run while not issuing a walk in the Knights' 6-2 home victory over Bethune-Cookman. It was UCF's eighth-straight win in midweek competition, allowing its record to jump to 26-14 on the season as it prepares to travel to Marshall for a three-game Conference USA series.

"At the end of the Rice game (Sunday) I told our guys that they had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Rice is traditionally a top-10 program and they will probably be there at the end of the year. And the only difference between us and Rice and winning the series was one inning," said head coach Terry Rooney. "Instead of getting down about it, I made sure these guys were pumped up as much as they could be Sunday night, and they bounced back at North Florida Tuesday and then played a great game tonight."

UCF is 19-7 in its last 26 outings, and Wednesday was the third game this season an opponent failed to draw a free pass vs. the UCF pitching staff. Freshman Brian Adkins (3-3) got the win vs. the Wildcats (23-16) with 2.0 shutout innings, while freshman Joe Rogers grabbed his seventh save of the season by sitting down all four batters he faced.

"Tonight was about our pitching. I really got into the pitching staff in front of the whole team before the game today, that now it's time for them to start being accountable and pitching better," said Rooney. "The theme is to have a closer's mentality with two outs. We've been giving up way too many runs with two outs. But tonight I thought the pitchers did a great job and we didn't walk any batters, which was the story."

With the sticks, Beau Taylor continued his torrid pace at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three RBI. His impressive April permitted him to raise his average from .304 to .356. Taylor was one of five Knights with at least two hits vs. B-CU.

Bethune-Cookman did jump on UCF starter Brennan Dobbins in the first to take a 1-0 lead only to have the Knights respond in the third off righty Julio Morales. With two down, Taylor drew a walk, took second on a wild pitch and scored by way of a 3-2 single to right by Chris Duffy.

Two-out hitting was back in the fifth as Morales approached the 100-pitch mark. A single from Shane Brown got it started, and he advanced all of the way to third on a pair of wild pitches. With two down, Taylor smoked a RBI double into left-center to put UCF on top.

With a slim 2-1 advantage, the Knights were primed for a big inning in the sixth by loading the bases with no outs vs. Juan Perez, who traditionally serves as the B-CU closer. Even though he earned a 3-2-3 double play, Brown would knock it a run with two outs while another touched home thanks to an error.

After the Wildcats posted an unearned run in the seventh, they placed runners at the corners with one down in the eighth. That was when Rogers entered and induced pinch-hitter Jeremy Ruperto to pop up on the infield to escape the jam.

And in UCF's last at-bat, it put the game away with more two-out RBI. Digging in with the bases jammed, Taylor smoked a two-run single into right, stretching the Knights' lead to 6-2. Slamming the door shut, Rogers used 11 pitches in the ninth to grab the 1.1-inning save.

This week's schedule rolls along for the Knights as they leave for West Virginia Thursday morning for a three-game Conference USA series with Marshall Friday-Sunday in Charleston.

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
Bethune-Cookman - 23-16 Overall
UCF - 26-14 Overall
-Joe Rogers moved into a tie for eighth all-time at UCF with his seventh save of the season. Only a freshman, he also ranks tied for eighth on the career saves chart.
-Chris Duffy drove in one more Wednesday, moving him into a tie for fifth in career RBI at UCF with 160.
-With three hits, sophomore Beau Taylor surpassed the 100-career hit plateau. The catcher now has 102 hits in two seasons with the Knights.
-Brennan Dobbins finished his start with 3.0 innings and two strikeouts. Along with Brian Adkins and Joe Rogers, Chase Bradford and Bryan Brown also worked from the pen vs. the Wildcats.
-The Knights finished with 11 hits, marking the 28th time in 40 games they amassed double-digit hits.