March 3, 2015
="" alt="Twitter Logo" border="0" class="imported"> 
="" alt="Facebook Logo" border="0" class="imported"> UCF Athletics Social Media Directory
By Nate Blythe
UCFKnights.com
Stats: HTML | PDF - Exposure Gallery - Photo Gallery - SoundCloud - Highlights + Postgame
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - With a record crowd of 4,319 on hand for the first Top-10 matchup in program history, No. 9 UCF captured a 4-3 victory over No. 2 Florida Tuesday at the UCF Baseball Complex. Senior Derrick Salberg made an important diving catch near the warning track in center field for the second out in the ninth inning and classmate Trent Thompson induced a fly out to end the game and set off a raucous celebration.
"It was crazy, especially there at the end with everyone chanting UCF," said senior third baseman Tommy Williams, who drove in three runs. "It was nuts. It was awesome."
UCF (11-1) recorded its first victory over a top-two opponent since a 5-0 road win at No. 2 Rice in 2009. It was its first win at home since 2004 when it defeated No. 2 LSU 6-5 in 10 innings.
"It was a tremendous team win," said head coach Terry Rooney. "We talk about it all the time that it takes 35 guys. Tonight, it took every single player on the bench, on the field to get this done. I want to thank everybody that came out. It was a record crowd. I really appreciate all the support of Knight Nation. It was an awesome environment."
The Knights now have victories over No. 2 Florida, No. 15 Arkansas and No. 18 Ole Miss this season. It is the first time since 1987 that UCF has defeated three different SEC teams in the same year (Alabama, Florida, Georgia).
Freshman Kyle Marsh tossed four-plus innings, yielding one earned run and fanning two in his first career start. The win was registered by junior lefty Harrison Hukari, who notched two strikeouts in 2.2 innings and picked up his third relief victory.
The Knights opened the scoring in the fourth when senior second baseman Dylan Moore was hit by a pitch and took second on a failed pick-off attempt. Senior right fielder Erik Barber singled to right center, placing two runners in scoring position.
In the next at bat, a sacrifice fly recorded by senior third baseman Tommy Williams put the Knights on top 1-0. Senior first baseman James Vasquez increased the lead to 2-0 on a base hit to left.
Florida responded in the fifth with a run of its own on a single, walk and run-producing ground out to cut the Knights advantage to 2-1.
Coming up with a clutch two-run double in the sixth inning, Williams brought the capacity crowd to its feet and extended the Knights lead to 4-1. The frame started with Salberg notching a one-out single and a walk drawn by Barber.
The Gators once again answered the following inning with a two-run double registered by Dalton Guthrie.
UCF turned a trio of double plays in the second, fourth and eighth innings as the defense played a crucial role in keeping the Gators' offense at bay.
Notes
-Tuesday's contest - No. 2 Florida at No. 9 UCF - was the first matchup between two Top-10 teams in UCF history.
-The announced attendance was a single-game high 4,319, passing the previous mark of 3,953 set vs. No. 2 Florida State (3/11/14).
-First pickoff of the season was notched by Marsh on a throw over to first.
-Williams tied a season-best with three RBI. It last occurred at Bethune-Cookman (2/25/15).
-The Knights turned three double plays against Florida. The last time that occurred was vs. Presbyterian (5/11/14).
-The Black and Gold now have defeated four different ranked opponents in 2015, the most since 2011 when it knocked off five different ranked teams.
-The win by the Knights was the fifth victory over a ranked opponent this year - No. 2 Florida, No. 11 Maryland, No. 15 Arkansas, No. 18 Ole Miss (twice).
UCF makes a return trip to Gainesville on Wednesday at 7 p.m. to finish out the home-and-home series. The Knights welcome Columbia for a three-game set beginning on Friday at 6:30 p.m. The Lions took a pair of contests in a four-game series at No. 3 Houston last weekend.
Single-game tickets for the 2015 baseball season are currently on sale by clicking here or calling 407-823-1000.