May 10, 2015
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By Nate Blythe
UCFKnights.com
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ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - With the series on the line on Championship Sunday, sophomore right-handed pitcher Robby Howell stepped up and took a shutout into the ninth inning to lead UCF to a 4-1 victory over Memphis. Senior second baseman Tommy Williams connected on a solo homer on Mother's Day at the UCF Baseball Complex.
"Robby's [Howell] command was good and mixed his pitches well," Rooney added. "The one thing for Robby is that he stayed down in the zone for a majority of the day. He has a sinking fastball, which induces a lot of ground balls, but it sets up all of his other pitches."
Howell scattered nine hits during the contest and improved to 5-7 on the year, while notching three strikeouts in the best outing of his career.
Senior lefty Harrison Hukari came in with a runner at first base in the ninth frame and picked up the save, but Memphis threatened by loading the bases with one out. The St. Petersburg, Fla., native tallied a strikeout and foul out to secure the victory.
"It was a total team win," Rooney added. "We got the hits we needed two and made some great plays out there on defense. On Championship Sunday, Robby really set the tone and picked us up."
UCF (30-22, 9-12 The American), which won its second-straight series, was paced by senior shortstop Dylan Moore and sophomore designated hitter Matt Diorio, who each picked up two hits including a double and RBI vs. Memphis (33-17, 11-10 The American).
The play of the game came with one out in the eighth inning with runners at the corners after UCF had just missed turning a double play. A ground ball up the middle was corralled by second baseman Williams on his knees. He flipped the ball to senior shortstop Dylan Moore to turn an inning-ending double play on a bang-bang play at first base.
The Knights strung together three hits to score first and take a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Williams started off the frame with a solo homer to left field for his seventh round tripper of the year. A single to right by sophomore designated hitter Matt Diorio continued the rally. The Staten Island, Fla., native moved to second on a ground out and scored on a base knock to right center by sophomore third baseman Kam Gellinger.
After Howell worked out of a jam that stranded two runners in the fifth frame, UCF extended its lead to 3-0 with a pair of hits. A lead-off double was notched by senior left fielder JoMarcos Woods, who took third on a sac bunt by Gellinger. An RBI base knock was recorded by senior shortstop Dylan Moore to left.
The Knights upped the advantage to 4-0 in the seventh inning on a double to left center by Moore, then senior center fielder Derrick Salberg drove him home with a single up the middle.
The loss was given to Conner Alexander (4-1), who went 6 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts. The Tigers registered a game-high 11 hits and were led at the plate by Carter White with three hits and a run driven in.
UCF finishes the regular season with a three-game set at USF that begins on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network. The middle game of the series starts at 7 p.m. and is also broadcasted on CBS Sports Network. The finale is set for 1 p.m. Saturday.
The American Athletic Conference Championship is scheduled for May 19-24 in Clearwater, Fla., with the seeding to be determined.