ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – The UCF baseball team earned its fourth-straight victory to open the 2017 season Tuesday, fending off the Ospreys of North Florida 3-2 at the UCF Baseball Complex.
The Knights looked sharp early on, turning a corner-to-corner, 5-4-3 double play in the first before starter Chris Williams notched a strikeout to end the inning.
It looked like UCF might score first, as right-fielder Eli Putnam delivered lead-off single and made his way to third with just one out. Short stop Brennan Bozeman then hit a potential sacrifice fly, but the ball came down in shallow right field and Putnam was thrown out at home.
Later in the fourth inning, down 1-0, designated hitter Ryan Crile drew a lead-off walk.
Bozeman followed with a single to left before third baseman Kam Gellinger dropped a perfect bunt down the third-base line. Then, first baseman Rylan Thomas came up big with a sharply hit single to left field tying the game at one run each.
In the home half of the fifth, center fielder Luke Hamblin & Putnam both singled. Crile moved the runners with a bunt and left fielder Kyle Marsh gave the Knights the lead, scoring Hamblin from third with a sacrifice fly to right-center field.
The Ospreys tied the game again in the seventh, but the Knights came charging right back. Hamblin hit a chopper to first and won the foot race to the base for an infield hit. He stole second, advanced to third on a Putnam single and scored the eventual game winner on sacrifice fly by Crile.
Sophomore left-hander Bryce Tucker came on in the ninth to close and proceeded to strike out the side to earn the save. Tucker had previously come on in a save situation during game two against Siena last weekend. He only faced four hitters in that effort, walking one and striking out three.
Next up, the Knights host Manhattan for a three-game series Friday Feb. 24-26 at the UCF Baseball Complex.
Strong Start
- Putnam and Marsh each have a 4-game hit streak
- Tucker has 2 saves in 2 appearances with 6 strikeouts
- Hamblin and Putnam are tied with a team-best 5 RBIs each
- Marsh leads the Knights in extra base hits with 3 doubles and 1 triple
- UCF has stolen a combined 12 bases
- The Black and Golds team batting average is .344 with 44 hits 27 RBIs
- Knights pitching boasts a combined 2.00 ERA with 51 strikeouts
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