May 8, 2011
| UCF vs. Florida State May 8, 2011 |
| From Tallahassee, Fla. | |||||
| Team | R | H | E | ||
| UCF | 1 | 4 | 0 | ||
| FSU | 6 | 9 | 0 | ||
WP: McGee (2-2), 7.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
LP: Winkler (3-4), 7.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
SV: Bennett (9), 2.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Game-Changing Moment
Even at one apiece in the bottom of the sixth, FSU's Devon Travis led off the frame with a double, and that was the start of a three-run inning as Sherman Johnson and Jayce Boyd also doubled to help give FSU the lead.
Three Stars
First: FSU SP/DH Mike McGee, WP, 7.0 IP, 1 H, 2-for-2, HR
Second: FSU 1B Jayce Boyd, 2-for-4, 3 RBI
Third: UCF SP Danny Winkler, 7.0 IP, 6 H, 4 K
By Brian Ormiston
UCFAthletics.com
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - A day after the two programs combined for 24 runs on 26 hits, a pitcher's duel ensued early Sunday until No. 6 Florida State broke a 1-1 tie with a three-run sixth to earn a 6-1 victory over UCF. The Knights were able to capture one win on the weekend against the Seminoles (36-12) as they will take a 29-19 record into next week.
Junior right-hander Danny Winkler's only blemish through five innings was a solo homer before the three-run sixth did in the Knights. He went on to set a season-high with 7.0 innings, permitting four runs to score on six hits, walking one and sitting down four on strikes.
Opposite Winkler on the mound, FSU senior righty Mike McGee made just his second start of the year and even though his season-high for innings was 2.0, he lasted 7.0 innings as well, giving up just one hit. That hit came off the bat of Derek Luciano who delivered a solo home run in the fifth.
Winkler motored through the Seminoles until giving up a two-out solo homer by Devon Travis in the third. Meanwhile, McGee also was cruising, not allowing a hit through four innings. That changed in the fifth when Luciano greeted the righty with a solo blast over the tall fence in right to open the inning. It was the third baseman's sixth homer of the year.
Not counting the home runs, neither team got a runner to second until the top of the sixth where Darnell Sweeney walked with one away and touched second on a groundout. However McGee left Sweeney there by picking up a strikeout to end the frame.
Florida State also sent a runner to second in the sixth, and this time it was successful in capitalizing as a leadoff double from Travis led to three runs and a 4-1 advantage for the home team. It could have been worse for Winkler but he was able to strand a runner at third with one down.
When the Seminoles went to the pen in the eighth, Ryan Breen provided UCF with its second hit on a leadoff single vs. closer Daniel Bennett, only to be removed from the bases on a double-play ball. Florida State had little trouble the rest of the way, adding two more runs in the eighth to get the victory.
UCF will make a short appearance at home when it faces Bethune-Cookman Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. before getting back on the road next weekend to battle UAB.
Game Notes
UCF - 29-19 Overall
No. 6 Florida State - 36-12 Overall
-The Knights dropped to 7-7 against ranked teams in 2011.
-UCF finished with a 2-2 record on the week, including victories at Florida State and South Florida.
-The Black and Gold entered Sunday with a RPI of No. 27.
-Jonathan Griffin's eight-game hitting streak came to an end Sunday.
-Florida State finished by outhitting UCF 9-4.
-The Knights did not commit an error all weekend, marking the second time it did not have an error in a series this year (Tulane).