ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – It was the bottom of the second with the bases loaded and nobody out, when junior outfielder Bryce Peterson dug in and sent a rocket over the right-center field fence for a grand slam home run. UCF never looked back, beating the Jaspers 10-1 Saturday night in game two of the weekend series at the UCF Baseball Complex.
"I thought we came out today with a little more energy and focus than yesterday," UCF head coach Greg Lovelady said. "We got on base, took our walks when we needed to and hit the ball a lot harder all around. That was good to see."
For the second time in the series and the third time this year, the Knights batted through the order, sending 10 hitters to the plate and notching five runs in the second inning.
Senior Juan Pimentel improved to 2-0 after throwing six innings and allowing just one run on four hits and one walk. The right-hander dealt six strikeouts and now has a season ERA of .79.
Seniors Eli Putnam and Luke Hamblin both extended hitting streaks to six games. Putnam did it early with an RBI double in the second while Hamblin's hit came on a 2-RBI single with the bases loaded in the sixth.
UCF would score three runs in the sixth and add two more in the seventh before they were through. Senior Ryan Crile had a pinch-hit RBI-single in the seventh that caromed off the center field fence on the fly. The bases were loaded and runners were initially forced to hold on what was nearly the second grand slam of the night.
The Knights relievers were sharp as well, with freshman Joseph Sheridan, sophomore Thaddeus Ward, and junior Eric Hepple dealing one inning each. Combined, the trio gave up just two hits and two walks, shutting down any hope of a Manhattan comeback.
The series finale is scheduled for Noon on Sunday Feb. 26. Click here to follow along via live stats or catch all the action streaming on UCFKnights.TV.
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