Feb. 22, 2011
| UCF at Bethune-Cookman Feb. 22, 2011 |
| From Daytona Beach, Fla. | |||||
| Team | R | H | E | ||
| UCF | 13 | 19 | 0 | ||
| Bethune-Cookman | 0 | 2 | 3 | ||
WP: Adkins (1-0), 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
LP: Durapau (0-1), 2.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
SV: None
Game-Changing Moment
Beau Taylor and Jonathan Griffin led off the top of the second with back-to-back doubles, which gave way to a four-run inning and UCF cruised the rest of the way.
Three Stars
First Star: The Pitching Staff, 9.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 9 K
Second Star: UCF LF Ryan Breen, 3-for-5, 4 RBI, 1 R, 2 2B
Third Star: UCF SS Darnell Sweeney, 3-for-5, 3 RBI, 2 R, 2B, 3B
By Brian Ormiston
UCFAthletics.com
Daytona Beach, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Seven different pitchers combined to surrender just two hits while the offense pounded out 19 of its own, enabling UCF to take care of defending MEAC champion Bethune-Cookman, 13-0, Tuesday in Daytona Beach. The Knights (4-0) won their 18th-consecutive non-conference game and scored at least 10 runs in their eighth-straight outing.
It was UCF's first shutout since a 5-0 victory at No. 2 Rice May 8, 2009, and the first in non-conference action since a 5-0 triumph over Hartford March 13, 2009.
Junior catcher Beau Taylor moved one game closer to tying a UCF record by posting a base hit in his 25th-straight game. Mike Myers holds the record with a 26-game streak during the 2001 campaign. Taylor finished 3-for-5 with two runs and three RBI against the Wildcats (3-1).
Also pacing the aluminum, Darnell Sweeney went 3-for-5 with three RBI, a double and a triple, and Ryan Breen rapped out three hits, two doubles and four RBI. In all, every UCF starter recorded at least one hit, and 10 of the 19 total hits went for extra bases (UCF originally had 18 hits but a change was made after the game).
Sophomore lefty Brian Adkins got the start on the hill and he was on a mission throughout his brief outing, giving up just one hit, not walking a batter and striking out five. Since he was designated to go only three innings, he was awarded the win to move his career record to 5-3.
Bethune-Cookman, which did not have a hit from the second to the fifth innings, fell victim to the combination of Adkins, Alex Besaw, Ben Lively, Johnny Sedlock, Brennan Dobbins, Bryan Brown and Trevor Berry, who all pitched for the Knights. The staff struck out nine in the process, and the two hits allowed were the fewest since Memphis had just two against the Knights April 13, 2008. In the field, the Black and Gold played flawlessly, not committing an error.
The Wildcats' freshman starter Montana Durapau struck out two in the top of the first in his collegiate debut to get the evening going. But the righty was greeted rudely in the second by back-to-back doubles from Taylor and Jonathan Griffin as UCF jumped out 1-0. Two batters later and Breen hammered a RBI double to right, and a two-out error allowed two more runs to cross and it was quickly 4-0.
In the third, an error put Taylor aboard and Griffin doubled again to place runners at second and third to start the frame. With one out, Breen faced a two-strike count only to send a two-run single into right-center, pushing the lead to 6-0 and Durapau was eventually forced to the dugout later in the inning.
With the Wildcats' bullpen taking over, UCF did not stop producing in the fourth where Sweeney doubled and Taylor singled him home to bring it to 7-0.
Keeping the theme of the game going, freshman righty Lively made his collegiate debut and proceeded to strike out two in a perfect fifth. And in the top of the sixth, UCF tacked on four more on a two-run triple out of Sweeney and RBI hits from Taylor and Breen.
Ahead 11-0 and outhitting B-CU 15-1, UCF remained in control the rest of the way, adding one in the seventh and another in the eighth, and the bullpen locked down the win. That was highlighted by Berry also making his Division I debut as the freshman struck out one in a perfect ninth.
The Knights' four-game road trip continues this weekend at the South Alabama Classic where they will meet South Alabama Friday, Southeastern Louisiana Saturday and No. 29 Alabama Sunday.
Game Notes
UCF - 4-0 Overall
Bethune-Cookman - 3-1 Overall
-The 13-0 win was UCF's largest over Bethune-Cookman since an 18-2 victory in 2005.
-Bethune-Cookman Preseason First Team All-American catcher Peter O'Brien was 0-for-2 vs. the Knights.
-Travis Shreve stole his fifth base of the season Tuesday.
-UCF's last 4-0 start was in the 2008 campaign.
-UCF announced that its series finale at home vs. Dartmouth March 6 will start at 12 p.m. instead of 1 p.m. due to travel plans.