ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - The UCF Baseball team bounced back from its midweek defeat in a big way Friday, taking down Central Michigan 21-1 at the UCF Baseball Complex.
Freshman Rylan Thomas led the Knights at the plate, driving in his team's first two runs with a clutch two-out single in the first inning. He delivered again in the second, launching his first-career home run, a three-run blast over the wall in left field. In his third at-bat he homered again, this time a two-run shot to the opposite field. Thomas accounted for seven RBIs with just three at bats.
"We hit the ball really well tonight," UCF head coach Greg Lovelady said. "The offense did a phenomenal job and this is by far the best all-around game we have played so far. We played great defense and we pitched really well."
Infielder Ryan Crile and outfielders Eli Putnam and Josh Moser delivered home runs as well. Putnam had a two-run shot in the third, Crile notched a solo effort in the fifth, and Moser added another solo blast in the sixth. The last time the Knights hit five home runs in a single game was May. 21, 2011 against Marshall.
The outpouring of runs was the most by the Black and Gold since Mar. 14, 2010, when UCF put up 24 runs against Hartford.
Starting pitcher Robby Howell went seven solid innings for the home team. He allowed just one run on four hits and four strikeouts, earning his third win of the year. Only two relievers were needed to finish the job, with left-hander Drew Faintich and right-hander Campbell Scholl each throwing one inning.
The series will conclude with a double header Saturday. The first pitch is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. with the series finale slated for 45 minutes after the conclusion of the afternoon contest. Catch the action streaming live on UCFKnights.TV or click here to follow along via live stats. Purchase tickets in advance by clicking here or calling 407-UCF-1000.
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