May 12, 2012
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By Eric DeSalvo
UCFAthletics.com
CHARLESTON, W. Va. (UCFAthletics.com) - The No. 13 UCF baseball team dropped just its third road contest of the season Saturday afternoon at Appalachian Power Park when Marshall took game two of the three-game set, 9-6.
The Knights (39-12, 14-6) will look to win their 12th weekend series of the year in tomorrow morning's rubber match beginning at 10:05 a.m.
Saturday's loss to the Thundering Herd (16-33, 4-16) snapped a seven-game winning streak for the Knights in opposing parks. On the afternoon, UCF had nine hits and was led by center fielder Ronnie Richardson who went 3-for-4 with the first two-homer game of his playing career.
UCF got to Marshall starter Aaron Blair quickly when Richardson barreled a 2-1 pitch and sent it over the left-field wall for his third leadoff home run of the season. Darnell Sweeney followed that up with a single to center, stole second base and scored on D.J. Hicks' RBI single to right-center.
The Herd answered back with a run in the bottom of the first and then took advantage of a leadoff single and walk that turned into a three-run homer to left field by Sergio Leon in the bottom of the fourth.
UCF got its own leadoff single and walk to Travis Shreve and Richardson to start off the fifth. Sweeney sacrificed the duo over and Hicks drove in Shreve on a RBI grounder for his 64th RBI this year and second of the game.
Marshall used the long ball to its advantage once again in the bottom of the sixth. The Herd mounted a two-out rally on starter Brian Adkins and rookie reliever Garrett Nuss to push the lead to 7-3 after a three-run homer by Gray Stafford. Adkins finished his 13th start this year going 5 2/3 innings and allowing five runs.
After trailing 9-3 heading into the ninth, the Knights got three runs after the first three batters reached. Richardson was able to connect on his second homer of the game, a two-run shot and eighth of the season, but the Herd closed the door on the rally to preserve the win.