ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - After dropping two-straight games to Dartmouth this weekend, the UCF Baseball team left it all out on the field Sunday. The Knights posted 15 runs and avoided the series sweep while shutting out the Big Green at the UCF Baseball Complex.
The Black and Gold wasted no time Sunday, putting up three early runs in the bottom of the first inning.
First baseman Rylan Thomas reached on an error before second baseman Matthew Mika moved him to second with a single up the middle. Thomas then stole third and scored the Knights first run when left fielder Kyle Marsh added an infield hit.
Mika had stolen second and right fielder Josh Moser drew a one-out walk. Designated hitter Eli Putnam then hit a slow bouncer to short stop, scoring Mika from third. Marsh was put out at third on the play. The inning's final run scored when catcher Logan Heiser lined to left and reached on an error by the Dartmouth outfielder.
Up 3-0, the Knights posted five more runs in the fourth inning and the rout was on. A single, hit batsman, and a walk loaded the bases with just one out. Center fielder Luke Hamblin walked in a run before Thomas chopped a ball to the short stop scoring another and Hamblin was put out at second on the play.
Then, with Thomas running at first, Mika delivered a double off of the fence in left-center field, notching 2 more RBIs. Mika then stole second and scored the innings fifth run on a passed ball.
The Knights would add two more in the fifth, two in the seventh, and three in the eighth before putting an exclamation point on the win, as reliever Jason Bahr struck out three straight hitters in the ninth to end the game.
Freshman starter Joe Sheridan went six complete innings giving up 5 hits, zero runs, and zero walks. Sheridan improves to 4-2 on the year and now has 20 strikeouts through 26.2 innings of work.
All told, UCF posted 15 runs on 12 hits and zero errors, drew eight walks while giving up just three and sat nine Big Green batters down on strikes. With the win, the Knights improve to 19-6 on the year, including a 17-4 mark at home and a 2-2 record on the road.
Notable Knights
- Mika extends his hitting streak to 11 games, matching a team-best in 2017 (Putnam)
- Mika stole 2 bases and now has a team-best 11-11 on the season
- Redshirt Sophomore Kyle Marsh made his first pitching appearance since 2015, dealing 0 runs, 0 hits and 2 walks in one inning of work
- Brooks Morgan made his second start of the season at third base and went 1-for-2 with an RBI, 2 walks, and 1 run scored
- Catchers Dallas Beaver and Michael Higgins each delivered pinch hit doubles
- Morgan and Higgins each notched their first RBIs of the season
Next up, UCF hosts Jacksonville for the finale of its four-game season series. 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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