Feb. 22, 2012
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By Eric DeSalvo
UCFAthletics.com
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - In a matchup of two top-20 programs, the UCF baseball team saw its two-game win streak over Florida come to an end Wednesday night with an 8-0 defeat at McKethan Stadium. Junior D.J. Hicks (Altamonte Springs, Fla.) extended his hitting streak to six games with a single to left in the eighth inning.
"First of all, Florida has a very good pitching staff and the credit goes to them," UCF head coach Terry Rooney said after the game. "As I told the team, our focus needs to be on getting better fundamentally. It's the fourth game of the year and we are going to continue to get better every day through practice or a game."
Despite the tarp being on the field for most of the afternoon due to a massive cell of rain that passed through the center of the state, the game started on time and saw light showers throughout.
Senior Matt Collins (DeLand, Fla.) started the game for the Knights (3-1) and allowed two runs in a pair of innings. Freshman Eric Skoglund (Sarasota, Fla.) followed with his second-career relief appearance and went two innings with a trio of strikeouts.
Altogether, five UCF pitchers saw action, including sophomore Gregg Cooke (Tampa, Fla.) who made his Knights debut by getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning on one pitch. He returned in the eighth to hold the Gators (4-1) hitless in the frame.
Defensively for the Knights, junior Nick Carrillo (Glendale, Ariz.) made two stellar grabs in left field. In the second, he made a diving catch on the run to end the frame, stranding a Gator runner at second. He would later make a sliding catch on the left-field line in the fifth.
Late in the game, UCF had offensive opportunities, but was unable to plate any runners. Freshman James Vasquez (Palm City, Fla.) collected two hits in three at-bats while seniors Alex Friedrich (Orlando, Fla.) and Travis Shreve (Auburn, Wash.) each hit safely in their fourth-straight games.
UCF will welcome Boston College for a weekend series beginning Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the UCF baseball complex. The Eagles arrive in Orlando after sweeping the Caravelle Resort Tournament and three 2011 NCAA Regional appearance teams.