ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - One year to the day since losing commit and friend Joe Skinner, the Knights took the field wearing his name on their backs. The Black and Gold got the 2-1 win Sunday at the UCF Baseball Complex, taking the season series with Memphis also 2-1.
Freshman Left-hander Joe Sheridan, a close friend of Skinner, got the start for the home team. Sheridan said it was a tough day preparing to play while thinking about his friend.
"I wanted to come out and do something special today," Sheridan said after the game. "I was feeling pretty good with a no-hitter through three, but then got humbled real quick when I gave up the home run. All day it just felt like there was someone else with me though and I don't think it's a secret who it was."
UCF head coach Greg Lovelady was pleased with Sheridan's performance. He said he was proud of the way the freshman handled the moment, and refused to let anything get to him.
"Joe Sheridan gave us an unbelievable start, and I'm sure it wasn't easy for him being the one year anniversary of Joe [Skinner]," Lovelady said as he choked back tears. "For him to go out there thinking about his buddy and do the things he did today, he is just the ultimate competitor. I'm just really proud of him."
Sheridan threw six and one third innings, gave up just one run on three hits and struck out a career-high nine batters. The win was his eighth of the year and his fifth in his last six starts.
"At ECU we got the cutter going a bit more," Sheridan said. "Having that fourth pitch has helped, I've been able to do a lot more to keep hitters off balance in my last few starts."
The Knights got on the board first, after Kam Gellinger started the home half of the third inning with a double to the wall in left field. He moved to third on a ground out by catcher Logan Heiser and scored on another ground out by center fielder Luke Hamblin.
The lead would be short lived however, as the Tigers took advantage of Sheridan's one mistake in the top of the fourth. The Memphis left fielder got a pitch up in the zone on a 1-1 count and sent a solo home run over the fence in left.
"I guess that was Joe [Skinner] letting me know there are still home runs up in heaven," Sheridan said.
The score would remain tied until the bottom of the fifth, when it was Gellinger once again who got things going for the Knights with a lead-off single. He advanced to second on a wild pitch and stole third. Right fielder Eli Putnam then came to bat with two outs and delivered a clutch RBI-single to bring Gellinger home.
Up 2-1, Sheridan would complete the sixth and get the first out of the seventh before right hander Jason Bahr came on in relief. Bahr struck out the first two batters he faced and retired two more in the eighth, before giving way to right hander Jordan Scheftz who induced a fly ball to end the frame.
Closer Bryce Tucker came on to finish things up in the ninth. Despite the second hitter reaching base on an error, Tucker only needed 10 pitches to earn his eighth save of the year and close the door on the Tigers.
UCF improves to 31-13 on the year and 9-6 in conference play while Memphis drops to 24-21 and 5-10 in The American. Next up, the Knights hit the road nine games before wrapping up the regular season with a three-game home stand against South Florida May 18-20.
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